Nancy Mace introduces amendment to stop pandas from being sent to China

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., plans to introduce an amendment that would prevent pandas born in the U.S. from being sent to China.

"It’s high time the United States said ‘no’ to the Chinese Communist Party and its international propaganda campaign," Mace said in a statement Tuesday. "Pandas born in the United States deserve to stay in our country."

Rep. Nancy Mace. (AP Photo/Mic Smith, File)

Mace is aiming to include the amendment in the "America COMPETES Act," a bill aimed at helping the U.S. gain an edge over competitors such as China in the fields of science and technology.

The South Carolina lawmaker argues that China has attempted to "soften the image" of its communist government by loaning the pandas to zoos around the world, charging $500,000 per panda while requiring that the animals be returned to China.

The Smithsonian National Zoo's Giant Panda Mei Xiang. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

"Whether born in the U.S. or in another country, pandas are considered the property of the Chinese government and must eventually return to China," Mace said.

The practice of sending cubs born elsewhere back to China has become controversial in recent years, with some experts arguing that the animal's population in the country has stabilized enough that host countries should no longer be required to send cubs back.

Mace cited China's record on human rights as a reason for the move.

Animal keeper Nicole MacCorkle holds Bei Bei, the National Zoo's newest panda and offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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"The Chinese Communist Party is also an oppressive and odious regime, responsible for disasters ranging from the massacre at Tiananmen Square to the COVID-19 fiasco from the Wuhan lab and the ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs," Mace said.

Only three zoos in the U.S. currently host giant pandas on loan from China: the National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta and the Memphis Zoo.