Panda diplomacy in the spotlight

Home bound: Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji eating bamboo in his enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington. He and his parents are set to return to China in early December. — AP

Wearing an “I Love Pandas” T-shirt and clutching a panda-covered diary, Kelsey Lambert bubbled with excitement as she glimpsed the real thing. She and her mother, Alison, had made a special trip from San Antonio just to watch the National Zoo’s furry rock stars casually munching bamboo and rolling around on the grass.

“It felt completely amazing,” Kelsey, age 10, said. “My mum has always promised she would take me one day. So we had to do it now that they’re going away.”