Japan will be without a giant panda for the first time since 1972, as twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei leave Ueno Zoo for China amid worsening bilateral relations. The pair, born in Tokyo in 2021 but technically on loan from China, will fly to a conservation centre in Sichuan province.
Their departure marks the end of decades of “panda diplomacy” that began when China loaned its first pandas to Japan the same year diplomatic ties were normalised. Since then, more than 30 pandas have been sent to Japanese zoos, endearing themselves to millions of visitors.
However, tensions over Taiwan have brought the arrangement to a halt. Chinese authorities have stated they have no plans to send replacement pandas, following comments by Japan’s prime minister suggesting she might deploy forces if China invaded the island. Beijing accused Japan of interfering in its internal affairs.
Prof Rumi Aoyama of Waseda University noted that pandas serve as symbols of friendship but their presence or absence does not drive relations. The ending of panda loans highlights the broader deterioration in China-Japan ties, which have also seen a drop in Chinese tourism and cultural exchanges.
