Kathimerini

Beijing's decades-old practice of lending giant pandas to Washington as a symbol of goodwill is steadily losing its diplomatic weight, according to recent reporting by the Wall Street Journal and Greek outlet Kathimerini. With U.S.-China relations strained over trade, technology and security disputes, panda loans no longer carry the political warmth they once did. Commentators suggest the tradition has become a symbol of a broader chill between the two powers.