Officials from China and the US have a new agreement to support panda breeding by allowing one couple to remain in the US capital. The agreement is part of research and conservation efforts, by the two countries, and also welcome news for American fans of the cute animals.

Zang Chunlin, Secretary General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, and Dennis Kelly, Director of the US Smithsonian's National Zoo, signed the Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement on Thursday. It means, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who produced a cub five years ago, will remain at the National Zoo in Washington DC for five more years. The first two years of the new agreement, include a joint study to see if the pair can breed again.