The Trump-Xi summit appeared grand and cordial—essentially a high-profile social gathering between two leaders—yet it concluded rather hastily. The visit to the National Archives on the third day was particularly farcical; expecting Xi Jinping to climb 38 steps just to view the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution was absurd—little wonder the visit lasted only ten minutes. Meanwhile, on the streets outside, anti-Xi protests and slogans blared from loudspeakers, piercing the heart of the autocrat.
State-of-the-art bombers and fighter jets roared overhead at the airport and the White House; the sonic booms were loud enough to shatter the eardrums of any “strongman.” At the banquet, the singing of songs by the people and the gift of a bald eagle sculpture—a creative touch by the Trumps—spoke volumes; Trump’s remark, “I hope this gift finds its place in Beijing,” conveyed more than a thousand words ever could.
In return, Beijing offered two pandas on loan to Atlanta. Pandas are a rare, endangered species; because they are pampered and have low reproductive rates, the state established breeding and habitat bases to help them better adapt to the wild. U.S. zoos must pay millions of dollars in annual lease fees, construct air-conditioned enclosures, and source arrow bamboo for their feed. Such aristocratic husbandry distances the pandas further from their natural state, running counter to the original goal of eventually releasing them back into the wild. Even more objectionable is the politicization of the pandas’ distinctive black-and-white appearance.
Following President Nixon’s 1972 visit to China and the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Chinese Communist Party gifted a pair of adorable pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. From the 1980s onwards, several pairs were leased to zoos in San Diego and Atlanta for breeding purposes. Atlanta successfully bred seven cubs; under the terms of the agreement, all cubs born in the U.S. remained the property of China and had to be returned upon reaching maturity. As U.S.-China relations shifted, pandas in American zoos faced pressure to leave; around 2024, pandas disappeared from Washington, Atlanta, and San Diego, all sent back to their homeland.
Starting in 2024, as U.S.-China relations eased, two leased pandas returned to the San Diego Zoo in California, and another pair arrived in Washington in October. Following Xi’s visit to the U.S. in September 2026, two pandas named “Pingping” and “Fushuang” arrived in Atlanta; “Fushuang” is an awkward name to pronounce—why not rename one of them “Yuanyuan”?
The Trump-Xi summit offered nothing new; both sides simply sought what served their own interests. With Trump facing the November midterm elections and Xi aiming for a fourth term, both leaders needed to court public opinion. Since the meeting itself lacked novelty, the media turned to human-interest stories, transforming gossip into hot topics. Pandas became major news; people focused on their political significance while forgetting that they are precious, endangered creatures for whom a return to the wild would be the ideal outcome.