Panda-monium: When diplomacy goes to the dogs, horses, and elephants

TOI Correspondent from Washington: The United States and China may disagree about tariffs, technology, Taiwan and the future of the world order. But there is apparently one subject on which they can find common ground: everybody loves pandas.Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, are arriving in Atlanta on Monday, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. Their arrival adds a furry footnote to a summit heavy on symbolism and somewhat lighter on earth-shaking breakthroughs. The pandas are headed for a 10-year stay at Zoo Atlanta under a conservation agreement.They travelled in considerably greater comfort than most travelers. Handlers packed steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots for their 15-hour FedEx flight. Experienced American keepers accompanied them. The Atlanta zoo upgraded their quarters and arranged a steady supply of locally grown bamboo.