Why China is Pulling Its Pandas Out from the US

Yash Trivedi

On November 8, 2023, three giant pandas named Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their son, Xiao Qi Ji left the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, for Chengdu, China. The pandas were given to the zoo by China, as part of a program called “panda diplomacy” by experts. In this article, I’ll be discussing what “panda diplomacy” is, how the US obtained the pandas, and why they have been taken away.

First off, what is panda diplomacy? Well, it is a practice used by the Chinese Government where they send giant pandas to other countries with which China has good relations. Now according to some scholars, panda diplomacy has been around since Imperial China, but the first modern instance of the strange way of diplomacy was seen in 1941. During World War 2, while China was under constant attack from Imperial Japan, the US sent aid to the Nationalist Government of China. So, to reciprocate for the help, China sent back a giant panda, thus marking the start of panda diplomacy. Until 1984, pandas were given to countries as gifts, but after a policy change, pandas started to be given out as a loan instead. The zoos which receive the panda are required to pay $1 million each year, per panda. And, if two pandas mated, the zoo then must also pay an additional $400 thousand for the cub. This means that no matter how much the zoo pays, or how many generations arise from two pandas, they belong to China.

Which brings us to the question of how the US got Tian Tian and Mei Xiang in the first place. Well, it all started in 1972, when President Nixon made a visit to China in order to improve relations following the Sino-Soviet split. During a dinner with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, First Lady Patricia Nixon briefly spoke of her interest in the cute, black and white creatures. After the visit, Enlai generously gave two giant pandas to the Smithsonian National Zoo; free of charge. They were called Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing and they attracted lots of attention. However, between 1992 and 1999, both sadly passed away due to organ problems and old age. Now, you may be asking, “What about Tian Tian and Mei Xiang?” Well, after the death of Hsing Hsing in 1999, the following year, the Smithsonian National Zoo received two more pandas, named Tian Tian and Mei Xiang. As a result of China’s policy change, the zoo was required to pay $10 million for both pandas and, on top of that, had to pay the $1 million a year fee. Along with private donors, companies such as Fujifilm and Animal Planet helped to raise the funds. And with that, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang were finally at the zoo.

Finally, what you’re probably all wondering is: “Why were the pandas taken away?” Well, as I mentioned in the paragraph concerning panda diplomacy, China gives its pandas to countries with which it has good relations. Recently, diplomatic relations between China and the US haven’t been the strongest. This primarily stems from 3 main issues. Firstly, disputes over trade. After Trump imposed tariffs on the Chinese, trade relations have been a little feisty between the two economic powerhouses. Secondly, China’s human rights abuses. After news came out of China’s concentration camps for the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province, the US and other countries have described China’s actions as genocide; angering China. Thirdly, the US’s open support for Taiwan. As China’s threats become more serious concerning the island nation of Taiwan, and the US continues to show its opinion on the matter, the Chinese government hasn’t taken a liking to the US’s response.

In conclusion, it is quite sad to see China’s wonder, the giant panda, be slowly stripped away from North America. If relations worsen, and all pandas are reclaimed by China, it would mean many people would be denied the privilege of seeing the fantastic bears. Foreign animals spark curiosity and interest among those from another continent, and having politics get in the way of that is a shame. However, in the end, they are China’s pandas and as time progresses, it will be interesting to see how foreign relations impact the display of the panda. Time will only tell if China’s unique way of diplomacy will inspire other nations to follow suit. If so, it would make foreign relations a lot more fun and entertaining to follow, as well as cute and cuddly!

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