Japanese bid farewell to pandas with tears in their eyes — China takes back animals due to worsening relations between countries
Thousands of people came to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo this Sunday to say goodbye to two giant pandas, who are being sent back to China on Tuesday, writes the BBC.
To see the twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, people waited in line for up to three and a half hours. These pandas were born in Japan, at the Tokyo zoo in 2021, but are considered the property of China — the PRC retains ownership not only of gift pandas but also of their offspring.
Since 1949 — from the moment the People's Republic of China was proclaimed — China has transferred pandas to other countries as a sign of goodwill (but can also demand the return of its property). In return, recipient countries pay an annual fee of about $1 million per pair of pandas.
Despite the Japanese capital's government asking Chinese authorities to send replacements for these pandas, Beijing stated that there are no such plans.
The pandas will be transported by plane to China, where they will first undergo quarantine, and then reunite with their sister Xiang Xiang at the center for the study and conservation of these animals' population in Sichuan province.
The first pandas were gifted to Japan in 1972 when the two countries normalized relations. Now, for the first time in 50 and a half years, Japan will be without pandas. Relations between the countries are in a tense period, especially after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Japanese armed forces would have to intervene if China attacked Taiwan.
Beijing views the self-governing island as part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to 'restore unity' with it. Earlier this month, China tightened restrictions on the export of rare earth-related products to Japan and suspended seafood imports.
Beijing issued a travel warning for its citizens regarding travel to Japan. According to Japanese Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko, the number of Chinese tourists in Japan last month nearly halved compared to the same period last year — to approximately 330,000 people.
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Ну нічога, калісьці панды таксама будуць вольныя