Japan has returned its final two giant pandas to China, ending more than five decades of panda presence in the country and highlighting the strain in relations between Tokyo and Beijing.
The four-year-old twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei drew large crowds to their home at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo ahead of their departure at the end of the month. Their return leaves Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972, when China presented two bears to mark the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Thousands of visitors applied for lottery-based tickets to see the twins one last time, with successful applicants given just one minute to view the animals. Many others gathered outside the zoo to mark the occasion despite being unable to enter.
The pandas were born at Ueno Zoo in 2021 and quickly became a major attraction. Economists warn their departure will have a significant financial impact. Katsuhiro Miyamoto of Kansai University estimates the absence of pandas could result in annual economic losses of around 20 billion yen, with the figure rising sharply if the situation persists for several years.
China has long used pandas as symbols of goodwill in its foreign relations. Since 1984, however, Beijing has retained ownership of all pandas sent abroad and any offspring born overseas, following a shift in policy away from permanent gifts.
The return of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei comes amid a noticeable deterioration in ties between Japan and China. Relations have cooled in recent months, particularly after remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the possibility of a Chinese attack on Taiwan and a potential Japanese military response, comments that drew a sharp reaction from Beijing.
Although the pandas’ return had been planned well in advance, it is now widely viewed in Japan as symbolic of the broader diplomatic chill. When asked whether China would send replacement pandas, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun offered no commitment, instead inviting Japanese visitors to see the animals in China.
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