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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Explainer | How has China’s panda diplomacy evolved and where are its stars now?

  • From strategic gifts to a programme centred on conservation, the giant pandas remain beloved attractions in zoos around the world
  • As some of the animals return home, they continue to attract tears of goodbye and a joyous welcome in China

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Online sales of panda toys jumped 10-fold in China ahead of Ya Ya’s return from the US as pandas continue to win hearts at home and abroad. Composite image: SCMP
Xinlu Liang
The return to China of giant panda Ya Ya and the body of her deceased male companion Le Le after two decades revived international awareness of Beijing’s long-standing tradition of panda diplomacy.

Ya Ya was moved to Beijing Zoo on Saturday, after spending a month in quarantine in Shanghai on her return from Memphis Zoo in the US at the end of a 20-year loan agreement.

Le Le’s death in February from heart disease meant 22-year-old Ya Ya spent her final months in Memphis alone. The male panda’s body was also brought back to China, in line with the agreement.

Ya Ya will be kept away from the public eye in her new home while she enjoys a “quiet rest”, Beijing Zoo said.

What is panda diplomacy?

Giant pandas have been a symbol of China’s soft diplomacy for decades, their destinations frequently tracking major trade deals, diplomatic initiatives and favourable statements on issues like Tibet or Taiwan.

Panda diplomacy was a significant part of China’s opening to the West. There was also an increase in gifts of pandas after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, as China sought to burnish its reputation, and again at periods linked to President Xi Jinping’s increasingly assertive foreign policy.

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