Xi hints Chinese pandas are headed back to the U.S.

Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping gave every indication Wednesday that his country will be sending more pandas to America, 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 during a dinner speech with business leaders while on his visit to the United States in California.

Xi made his remarks toward the end of the first day of meetings between he and President Joe Biden, the first face to face meeting between the two world leaders in more than a year, during which they pledged to reduce tensions between the world powers.

Xi did not say specifically when or where pandas might be sent but seemed to suggest the next pair are most likely to come to San Diego, known for its world-class zoo and previous commitment to pandas and their habitat.

The bears have symbolized the U.S.-China friendship since Beijing sent a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington in 1972, ahead of the normalization of bilateral relations. Later, Beijing loaned pandas to other U.S. zoos, and invested gate proceeds into panda conservation programs.

Washington D.C.'s National Zoo's three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, began their trip back to China a little over a week ago, leaving only four pandas remaining in the United States, at the Atlanta Zoo.

The National Zoo's exchange agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association was set to expire in December and the two countries couldn't reach a deal to extend it.

"I was told that many American people, especially children, were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas, and went to the (National) zoo to see them off," Xi said in his speech.

But Xi's visit to San Francisco seems to have shed an optimistic light on a return of pandas. While he did not mention the pandas during meetings earlier in the day with Biden, Xi said at the dinner that he learned the San Diego Zoo and people in California "very much look forward to welcoming pandas back."