中國國家主席習近平表示，貓熊即將抵達亞特蘭大

特雷弗・杭尼卡特（Trevor Hunnicutt）與雅各布・博蓋奇（Jacob Bogage）報導By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jacob Bogage

華盛頓，9月24日（路透社）——中國國家主席習近平（Xi Jinping）有一則消息要告訴亞特蘭大民眾：貓熊要來了。WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has news for the people of Atlanta: The pandas are coming.

習近平週四展開對美國的國是訪問時宣布，兩隻大貓熊「平平」與「福雙」將在「幾天內」抵達亞特蘭大動物園（Zoo Atlanta）。Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at Zoo Atlanta "in a few days," Xi announced at the start of his state visit to the United States on Thursday.

他在白宮一場儀式上表示：「大貓熊一直是中美兩國人民友誼的使者。」「在這裡，我有一則好消息。」"The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans," he said at a White House ceremony. "Here, I have a piece of good news."

亞特蘭大動物園一名代表表示，園方不會透露平平與福雙預定抵達日期的資訊，並拒絕進一步評論。亞特蘭大動物園先前曾於1999年至2024年間展出貓熊，並在4月宣布與中國野生動物保護協會（China Wildlife Conservation Association）達成協議，將接待這兩隻貓熊。A Zoo Atlanta representative said the facility would not share information about Ping Ping and Fu Shuang's planned arrival date and declined to comment further. The zoo, which previously housed pandas from 1999 to 2024, announced an agreement in April with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to host the two bears.

中國嚴格管控貓熊的展出；貓熊是中國珍貴的國家象徵之一。中國主張擁有全球所有貓熊的所有權，並將牠們租借給國際動物園，這種做法被稱為「貓熊外交」。China closely controls the exhibition of pandas, one of its prized national symbols. The country claims ownership of all the world's bears and leases them to international zoos in what's been dubbed "panda diplomacy."

這項傳統始於1957年，當時毛澤東將貓熊「平平」贈送給蘇聯。1972年，隨著中美兩國開始就關係正常化展開對話，北京向美國贈送了兩隻貓熊。The tradition began in 1957 when Mao Zedong gifted panda Ping Ping to the Soviet Union. Beijing gifted two pandas to the United States in 1972 as the countries began dialogue toward normalizing relations.

由於貓熊數量日益減少，中國於1984年停止贈送貓熊，改以租借方式提供，通常成對租借、租期為10年。如果貓熊在海外繁殖後代，幼崽仍屬中國所有，且通常會在年幼時返回中國。China stopped gifting pandas in 1984 because of the bears' dwindling population and leased them instead, often in pairs for a decade-long period. If the pandas produce offspring while abroad, the cubs remain the property of China and generally return to the country while still young.

外交關係的起伏也曾使北京偶爾不讓貓熊前往美國。Ebbs in diplomatic relations have also led Beijing to occasionally keep pandas out of the United States.

聖地牙哥動物園長期接待貓熊的安排曾在2019年至2024年間中斷。另一個傳統上在美國接待貓熊的地點、華盛頓特區國家動物園，在涵蓋園內3隻貓熊的協議到期後，也曾於2023年至2024年間有一段時間沒有貓熊。San Diego Zoo's long tenure as a panda host was interrupted from 2019 to 2024. The Washington, D.C., National Zoo, another traditional US home for pandas, had no bears for a period between 2023 and 2024 after the expiration of an agreement covering three bears there.

兩隻新的貓熊「寶力」與「青寶」於2024年10月抵達華盛頓。另一對貓熊「雲川」與「鑫寶」則於2024年6月抵達聖地牙哥動物園。Two new pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived in Washington in October 2024. Another pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, arrived at the San Diego Zoo in June 2024.

貓熊曾被列為瀕危物種，但國際自然保護聯盟（International Union for Conservation of Nature）在2016年將該物種的狀態調升為「易危」。根據世界自然基金會（World Wildlife Fund），目前約有1,800隻貓熊生活在野外。Pandas once were considered endangered, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature improved the species' status to "vulnerable" in 2016. Roughly 1,800 pandas live in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

（雅各布・博蓋奇報導；塞爾吉奧・農與阿利斯泰爾・貝爾編輯）(Reporting by Jacob Bogage; Editing by Sergio Non and Alistair Bell)