panda diplomacy
On February 23, two giant pandas arrived in Belgium on a 15-year loan, where they received a red-carpet welcome. Among those waiting on the tarmac were 2000 people, many of them excited kids, and also the Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.
This video explores the development of “panda diplomacy,” which began in 1972 when China donated a panda to the Smithsonian in commemoration of President Nixon’s historic visit. Since then, pandas have put a “furry, friendly face” on Sino-American relations. The recent naming of the second American-born panda has reemphasized the importance of panda diplomacy, with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama remarking that “these remarkable animals stand as a symbol of the growing connections between our two countries.”
The arrival of two giant pandas from China today will likely generate a good deal of fanfare in Toronto, where the bears will be on display at the city zoo starting in mid-May. Excitement is a fairly common reaction to these odd and incredibly rare animals. But why do people seem so obsessed with pandas?
In 2006, a 5-year-old captive-bred giant panda named Xiang Xiang ("Lucky") was released into the wild — the first of his kind to make that transition. Ten months later, he was dead. Chinese wildlife officials reported at the time that it appeared Xiang Xiang had suffered fatal internal injuries after being attacked by other wild-born male pandas in a battle for food and territory.
Germany and China have been cultivating a brisk exchange, and since last year, have held joint government consultations. The current meeting takes place in the midst of major personnel changes in Beijing.
Relations between Germany and China have progressed well beyond the phase of 'panda diplomacy.'...The most visible expression of this close relationship is the Sino-German government consultations. Germany only maintains such close exchanges with six other countries – all of them European Union members.
Panda diplomacy has become a pillar of China's soft power strategy, but the death of a week-old baby panda in Japan -- the first born to Tokyo's Ueno zoo in 24 years -- stands to disappoint those who hoped that its birth would motivate "people-to-people sentiment" and help overcome the strained China-Japan relationship.
PUTRAJAYA: “As Malaysia rolls out the red carpet for the pandas, it is hoped that China’s panda diplomacy can also help ease political tensions in the country,” said an online report in the Star.