Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta Arrive as China’s Diplomatic Ambassadors

Not every diplomatic gesture arrives wrapped in black-and-white fur, but this one did. Two giant pandas on loan from the Chinese government, part of Beijing’s long-running tradition of “panda diplomacy,” have officially arrived at Zoo Atlanta — a moment rare enough to draw international attention to a single flight touching down in Georgia. The Journey From Chengdu to Atlanta The pandas — a male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang — arrived Sunday aboard a FedEx flight originating from Chengdu in southwestern China. They mark the third pair of pandas to reach the United States within the…