China to send giant pandas to Atlanta

China is sending two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta, the China Wildlife Conservation Association says.

Male panda Ping Ping and female panda Fu Shuang will be part of a decade-long conservation effort between the association and the zoo, a statement said Friday.

The U.S. zoo is preparing facilities to ensure a comfortable environment for the pandas, with guidance from Chinese experts, it said.

The announcement comes ahead of President Donald Trump's planned visit to China in mid-May.

China’s giant panda loan program has long been known as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.

But its conservation significance could have been an important reason Beijing is renewing its cooperation with American zoos at a time of otherwise sour relations.