First came the ping-pong diplomacy of the 1970s when table tennis players from China and the US exchanged visits. Now, a new chapter in friendly exchanges is being written by a pair of furry emissaries – giant pandas Ping Ping (male) and Fu Shuang (female).

They are heading to the United States under a new 10-year deal, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced Friday. It follows an international cooperative research agreement signed last year between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Zoo Atlanta in the US.