Part 2/9:

The story of pandas in US-China relations stretches back to the early 20th century. During World War II, when China was under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, the United States extended significant support to China—over $4 billion in aid during the 1940s. Amidst this aid, the Nationalist government requested pandas from the wild, and two baby pandas were shipped to the U.S., with their names humorously chosen as Pandy and Panda. This early exchange was a gesture aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties at a time when China was economically fragile and politically divided.