Panda diplomacy: all the countries currently hosting China’s beloved ambassadors
Two giant pandas arrived in the US following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, continuing a decades-old tradition in which the beloved fuzzy ambassadors have become symbols of China’s ties with countries around the world. Zoo Atlanta announced the arrival of giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang on Sunday, saying it was “overjoyed” to welcome the pair after the zoo’s previous…
China's "panda diplomacy" involves sending giant pandas to countries as symbols of friendship and goodwill, often linked to major diplomatic initiatives and trade deals. This tradition has gained international attention since the 1970s, when China began sending pandas to countries like the US and Japan following key diplomatic milestones such as the establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972.
Cooperation in this practice has sometimes been suspended or ended when relations deteriorate, with no new pandas sent to the affected countries. Currently, China has 40 giant pandas living overseas in 15 countries, including South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Qatar, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Russia.
The US, with six pandas across three zoos, hosts the most pandas outside of China. Notably, Mexico has the unique distinction of hosting the only giant panda not owned by China, named Xin Xin, who was gifted to Mexico in 1975.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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