Take heart, it looks like China could send new pandas to the U.S.

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji plays at his enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, Sept. 28, 2023. Last week Xiao Qi Ji and his parents left the National Zoo for China. Four pandas remaim in the U.S., at Zoo Atlanta. (Associated Press)

SAN FRANCISCO — Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that China will send new pandas to the United States, calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”

“We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” Xi said Wednesday during a dinner speech with business leaders.