Two twin pandas will be sent from Japan to China in January 2026, and the country will be without these animals for the first time in 50 years. This was reported by Kyodo News, citing a source close to the matter.

Illustrative photo
According to a bilateral agreement between Tokyo and Beijing, the lease term for pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei expires in February 2026. The animals have lived at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo since their birth in 2021. They are the last pandas in Japan.
As Kyodo News notes, the prospects of receiving new pandas from China remain uncertain amid deteriorating relations between Tokyo and Beijing due to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan.
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