panda diplomacy
Following a diplomatic tradition going back millennia, China will be gifting Israel with two giant pandas, if it decides that the conditions in the Haifa zoo meet the animals' needs.
G20 leaders in Brisbane have engaged in so-called koala diplomacy, cuddling the typically Australian creatures, but over the years, various animals have played a role in diplomatic occasioins involving China.
Her guests include Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai, who has called Bao Bao Washington’s other Chinese ambassador, acknowledging a longstanding practice of “panda diplomacy” where China would gift or loan pandas as a message of cute goodwill between two countries.
Early on Wednesday morning, Malaysian officials were on hand to welcome two important new arrivals to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The pair, Ms. Feng Yi and Mr. Fu Wa, are on a diplomatic mission from China, hoping to cement the relationship between the two states and help them get past the considerable trauma caused to that relationship by the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.
The world loves pandas. The enigmatic, retiring and adorable creatures have become a global symbol of international friendship since China first began sending them as gifts to foreign countries in the 1950s. This adorable animal returned to the spotlight during Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Europe.
In this video, The First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan congratulates the naming of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub. The First Lady gives a warm thanks to the Smithsonian for their shared love pandas. She states, “For over thirty years China and the United States have carried out a lot of successful cooperation in panda protection. May the friendship between the Chinese and American people grow even stronger!”
In this video, First Lady Michelle Obama congratulates the naming of the Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda cub, born August 23,2013. Panda diplomacy was jump started by First Lady Pat Nixon and has strengthened the friendship between both nations. Mrs. Obama states, "This cub both exemplifies the common bond between our nations and the bright future of this magnificent species."
First ladies have long been an important part of a nation’s public diplomacy. Now their role is ever more pronounced.