they're adorable — and adored. Cuddly and big-eyed, they are the star attraction of any zoo they live in. Plus, they wear classic black and white, a combination that is so Coco Chanel. It's no wonder why pandas have found their way into our hearts.

But beyond that outer beauty — because it's never just about outer beauty — pandas are both a historic and cultural touchstone. From diplomacy to pop culture to a billion-dollar-plus movie franchise, pandas represent a lot of good things to all of us.

It's as clear as black and white.

Native only to China, pandas are a natural treasure to their homeland in more ways than one. The idea of panda diplomacy — China loaning pandas to other nations as a gesture of goodwill — is a centuries-old tradition. In fact, when China finally opened its doors to the West after President Nixon's historic visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972, it was with two pandas gifted to the U.S., Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, who then resided in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for many years.

These days, pandas found in zoos around the world are actually "leased" from China and any panda cubs born in captivity are also considered property of China.