Tokyo [Japan], January 26 (ANI): Japan’s final two pandas, twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, have been seen by guests at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday forward of their scheduled return to China later this month, as reported by The Taipei Times.
Their departure will mark the primary time Japan will probably be with out large pandas since 1972, amid tensions between the 2 nations.
The two pandas have been born in 2021 on the Ueno Zoo, to mom Shin Shin and father Ri Ri. The dad and mom have been returned to China in 2024, a 12 months after the twins’ sister Xiang Xiang was additionally despatched again.
Japan first acquired large pandas in 1972 to commemorate the normalisation of diplomatic relations with China, CNN reported. Since then, extra pandas have both arrived from China or been born domestically, changing into main sights within the nation.
Although born in Japan, the pandas stay the property of China beneath the framework of Beijing’s ‘panda diplomacy,’ CNN reported
Under this coverage, the Chinese authorities considers pandas as nationwide symbols and goodwill ambassadors, loaning them to nations with which they want to strengthen ties.
While the pandas’ return to China had been scheduled prematurely, their impending absence has been extensively seen as mirroring a downturn in Japan-China relations in latest months.
Last 12 months, China additionally recalled 4 pandas from a zoo in a Japanese city that depended closely on panda-related tourism.
Taipei Times reported that final 12 months in November, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned {that a} potential Chinese assault on Taiwan may immediate a navy response from Japan.
Meanwhile, Beijing has responded with a collection of financial measures, together with decreasing flight providers and issuing advisories cautioning residents in opposition to journey to Japan. As a consequence, the variety of Chinese guests to Japan fell by practically half final month in comparison with a 12 months earlier, declining to about 330,000, Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko mentioned final week. (ANI)