Visitors flocked to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo this week to say goodbye to twin giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, before they are flown back to China early next week. The pandas’ departure comes amid a deterioration in relations between China and Japan, and signals a potential end to decades of “panda diplomacy.”
Panda Diplomacy and Political Tensions
The panda house at Ueno Zoo was crowded with visitors posing for photographs in front of murals of the beloved animals, even hours before it officially opened. The gift shop experienced high sales of panda-themed merchandise, including toys, stationery, and biscuits.
Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were born at the zoo in 2021 and are technically on loan from China. They will undergo quarantine and reunite with their sister, Xiang Xiang, at a conservation and research center in Sichuan province.
Japan will be without a giant panda for the first time since 1972, when Tokyo and Beijing normalized diplomatic ties. Since then, China has loaned over 30 endangered pandas to Japanese zoos, endearing them to animal lovers and causing sadness upon their return.
The departure of the pandas is linked to a recent dispute over Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested the possibility of deploying Japan’s self-defense forces in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, which she described as an “existential threat” to Japan. This prompted a strong response from China, which accused Takaichi of interfering in its internal affairs.
Impact on Bilateral Relations
Chinese tourism to Japan has declined since Beijing advised its citizens against traveling to the country, and cultural exchanges have been cancelled or postponed. Chinese authorities have indicated no plans to send replacement pandas to Ueno Zoo despite requests from the Tokyo metropolitan government.
According to the Beijing Daily, a state-controlled newspaper, China may refrain from future panda loans if tensions with Japan persist. Experts suggest the pandas serve as indicators of the broader state of relations between the two countries.
The panda project has endured changes in Chinese leadership, the rise of hawkish leaders in Japan, and an ongoing territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands. However, the future of Taiwan has proven to be a breaking point.
Visitors expressed frustration over the situation. One woman from Saitama prefecture lamented that this would be her last chance to see the pandas, feeling that the Chinese government was unfairly targeting Japan. Another visitor, who traveled from Kobe, expressed disappointment that the diplomatic situation had impacted the pandas.
Despite the circumstances, visitors continued to queue for photos with panda models and express their gratitude to Xiao Xiao with banners displaying “Thank you, Xiao Xiao.” Access to the zoo has been limited to 4,800 people per day via a reservation lottery system.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
