In what might be a sign of warming ties between the world’s two largest economies, China’s President Xi Jinping has hinted at a renewal of the noteworthy “Panda Diplomacy” with the United States.
What Happened: According to a Bloomberg report, Xi intimated that China may resume its ‘Panda Diplomacy’ with American zoos. While dining with business executives at the APEC summit in San Francisco, Xi stated that China is willing to “do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen friendly ties between our peoples.”
These remarks from Xi were made after his first encounter with U.S. President Joe Biden in a year. A range of issues, including the fentanyl crisis and restoration of military communications that had been cut off, were discussed during their meeting.
Why It Matters: China’s possible return to panda loans is happening at a crucial juncture. The U.S. stands to lose all of its pandas by the end of the forthcoming year as the current loan agreements reach their expiration. The reason for China’s wildlife agency not renewing deals with American zoos has been unclear, amidst the escalating tensions with Washington.
The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., most recently, bid farewell to its three pandas, marking the first time since 1972 that the zoo is devoid of any pandas. At present, only Zoo Atlanta is home to pandas in the U.S., but these too are slated to return to China next year.
The ‘Panda Diplomacy’ has been a long-standing part of China’s diplomatic strategy, symbolizing friendship and goodwill. The decision to renew panda loans could be viewed as a positive step towards easing tensions and rebuilding relations between the U.S. and China.
Image by Kirandeep Singh Walia via Pexels
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