Congressman Cohen Attends Panda Send-Off
FedEx will fly the trio to China
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) traveled to Dulles International Airport this morning for the ceremonial send-off for the giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their youngest cub, Xiao Qi Ji. Afterward, he made the following statement:
“I was honored to be asked by FedEx to attend the going-away of the three pandas from our National Zoo. As FedEx pilot Ronald Zampini flies them to China, I took the opportunity to thank the company for bringing pandas to Memphis, Washington, San Diego and Atlanta where they have been the endearing star attractions for generations of zoo patrons. I also spoke with Chinese Embassy officials and asked them to consider re-establishing the panda exchange program, which they seemed inclined to do. There’s no better diplomacy than panda diplomacy.”
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