China will bring a 'friendship' panda back from the US.

Ya Ya, a 22-year-old female giant panda, has been loaned to the Memphis Zoo for two decades as part of Beijing's 'panda diplomacy' efforts. Xinhua News Agency reported that Ya Ya will return to China within the next few days, citing sources within the country's National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Animal welfare watchdog groups In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices had issued calls for Ya Ya to be returned home "before her health worsens". The US zoo denies claims of poor animal care. The zoo Ya Ya is expected to be returned to Shanghai before the end of April.

Beijing has been engaging in 'panda diplomacy' since 1972, offering two animals to then-US President Richard Nixon. China typically uses panda loans as a means of goodwill or to boost a trade deal. Relations between Washington and Beijing remain tense over the situation with Taiwan, where China views the island as part of its sovereign territory. The US diplomatically recognizes Beijing's 'One China' principle but has maintained informal ties with Taipei.