Society

2 pandas will remain in US 5 more years

By Lu Chang (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-01-20 07:51

WASHINGTON D.C. – Mei Xiang and Tian Tian will continue to stay in the United States’ National Zoo for another five years, Chinese officials said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Moments after President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao finished a White House news briefing, China Wildlife Conservation Association announced an extended five-year agreement with the National Zoo in Washington D.C. for giant panda breeding and research right after the previous cooperative plan expired at the end of 2010.

The pair of pandas was in the Smithsonian National Zoo on a 10-year cooperative agreement with a loan of $10 million and they can remain in the zoo until December 2015, according to the agreement extension associated with a total loan of $2.5 million.