Japan is preparing to send its last two giant pandas residing in the country back to China this January at China's request, which may result in Japan having no pandas for the first time in over 50 years.
The two pandas to be returned, Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, live at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. They were loaned by China under the "panda diplomacy" program, symbolizing good relations between China and Japan since the restoration of diplomatic ties in 1972.
Reports indicate the twin pandas will be sent back to China about one month earlier than scheduled, although the loan agreement expires in February. The Asahi Shimbun and other Japanese media reported that the Tokyo government sought to extend the pandas' stay due to their popularity and tourist draw, but Chinese authorities disagreed.
The Tokyo government declined to comment to AFP. The Asahi Shimbun further reported that Tokyo is negotiating to borrow new pandas from China. However, it is unlikely that new pandas will arrive before Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao are returned.
This situation occurs amid increasing tensions between China and Japan, two of Asia's largest economies. The tension rose after Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo might consider military intervention if Taiwan is attacked. China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, expressed displeasure at this stance.
Ueno Zoo is a key center for panda diplomacy, cooperating with zoos in China and the U.S. to continuously breed giant pandas. The twin pandas Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were born in 2021 to a mother named Shin Shin, who arrived in Japan in 2011 and was returned to China last year.
Breeding pandas in zoos is highly challenging due to their reproductive difficulties, including false pregnancies and a relatively high mortality rate among newborn panda cubs.
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