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The Mainichi
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
China's 'panda diplomacy' in focus as zero moment may come in Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- China's "panda diplomacy" is drawing renewed attention with Japan's first zero giant panda moment in over half a century approaching, amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry that could provide an incentive for Beijing to stabilize its oft-strained ties with Tokyo. China's decisions on leasing the bear species abroad are usually revealed in high-level bilateral talks. Foreign affairs experts say a new loan may be announced late fall this year during a possible visit by a Chinese political leader to Japan, though they doubt the gesture will carry the same diplomatic weight as it once did. Since the first black-and-white animal arrived in Japan in 1972 to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic ties, Chinese pandas have become beloved by the Japanese public, bringing major economic benefits as tourist attractions. The two governments have embraced the bamboo-munching iconic animal's role as a symbol of friendship. China last sent pandas to Japan in February 2011, based on a deal struck at a meeting between then Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Tokyo in May 2008. Currently, Japan is home to six pandas, all of which were born domestically but owned by China. Four at the Adventure World leisure complex in the western Japanese town of Shirahama will be handed over to China next Saturday, ahead of the expiration of their loan period in August. The other two at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens are also due to return to China next February. Emi Mifune, a Komazawa University professor well-versed in Chinese diplomacy, believes China will rent out new pandas instead to Japan as Beijing is "in the middle of an escalating confrontation with the United States and needs to mend relations" with Tokyo. China's relationship with the United States has been cooling in recent years, as Washington maintains a hard-line stance toward China, renewed by tariff-fueled trade salvos by President Donald Trump who returned to the White House in January. She also said Beijing's agreement with Tokyo in late May to begin procedures to resume importing Japanese marine products indicates that China is making visible efforts to improve the relationship, something that a new panda allocation would support. China imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports in August 2023 in opposition to the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. The Asian neighbors have long been at loggerheads over historical and territorial issues, including a dispute over the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. China's increasing military activities in the Indo-Pacific region have only stoked tensions. China has long used the panda as a tool of diplomatic outreach and goodwill toward various nations, including the United States, Russia, Australia and South Korea among others. With an eye on fostering "an atmosphere of improving bilateral ties," China may announce a new panda loan, perhaps during the next meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Mifune speculated. Japan hopes to host a summit with China and South Korea later this year in Tokyo, and Ishiba-Li talks are expected to take place on the sidelines. During a China trip as leader of a business delegation in early June, Yohei Kono, the former Japanese House of Representatives speaker, met with Li and floated the idea of the high-ranking Chinese official bringing pandas with him to Japan. While calling on Japan to promote cooperation to address "challenges posed to the world," such as "U.S. tariff measures," Li told Kono he attaches "great importance" to the panda request as "an important proposal," according to a delegation member. However, on Sept. 3 China will mark 80 years since it declared victory in its 1937-1945 War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, making diplomatic outreach in the approaching period challenging, Mifune said. Mifune also pointed out that China may be unwilling to send pandas to Adventure World in Shirahama during the tenure of the town's pro-Taiwan Mayor Yasuhiro Oe, who took office in May last year in a move that might have led to the four panda's repatriation ahead of schedule. Oe, a former House of Councillors member, has deep ties with Taiwan, with which the Japanese government only maintains unofficial relations. China sees the self-ruled democratic island as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Adventure World has engaged in a collaborative project to breed the animal, now classified as "vulnerable" on the global list of at-risk species, with China since 1994. Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University, said that China has used pandas not as a tool to demand other nations "give ground" on bilateral issues, but as a signal that the attitude toward Beijing in the recipient nation is "right and friendly." "Even if China were to give Japan some pandas, it would not mean that Japan has to do a lot of things for it," but how the Japanese public reacts to the arrival of new pandas will matter to Beijing, he said. Ienaga is also skeptical that a new panda loan will have any tangible impact on the Japanese government's diplomatic posture toward China or Japanese public opinion about its neighbor. "Japanese society no longer really looks at pandas through a political lens," as opposed to in 1972 when the animals were accepted "genuinely as a symbol of friendship," Ienaga added. By Keita Nakamura
The Mainichi
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Japan zoo to open applications to join 'farewell party' for 4 pandas returning to China
TANABE, Wakayama -- The Adventure World zoo and amusement park in west Japan will from June 7 open advance applications to visit a sending-off ceremony for four panda bears the day before they are set to be returned to China. Entry for the June 27 event in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, will be free, but visitor numbers will be capped at 3,500. The ceremony, which will take place at the park's Big Ocean area from 4 p.m. until 4:45 p.m., is also planned to be streamed on YouTube. After showing a video documenting the growth and parenting of the four pandas, the facility will broadcast live how the animals are spending their last day in Japan. The trainers will also present messages to the departing bears. Ahead of the ceremony, the park will also gather "panda messages" online and on-site of people's feelings toward the bears and wishes to meet new pandas. The park is also preparing a banner for people visiting June 27 to write on. Applications to visit the ceremony can be made via a custom site available in Japanese and English, starting at noon June 7.
Japan Forward
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Pandas Exit, Taiwan Enters as Shirahama Charts New Course
このページを 日本語 で読む Shirahama Mayor Yasuhiro Oe has been giving serious thought to the town's future. Rather than lamenting the return of all four giant pandas from its well-known leisure facility, Adventure World, he's turning his focus toward a broader vision. The pandas are set to leave for China at the end of June, taking with them one of Shirahama's most iconic tourist attractions. In an interview with The Sankei Shimbun , Oe, formerly a member of the House of Councillors, outlined his intention to strengthen ties with Taiwan. "I want to engage with regions that share our values," he said. Read part one here It probably did. Nikai had such close ties to China that some said he could meet with President Xi Jinping more easily than even Japan's prime minister. If he were still in office, I doubt China would have made Adventure World return all the pandas simply because the contract had ended. Actually, on the night of April 24, right after the news broke, a Diet member friend called and said, "Moriyama and Yuko Obuchi are heading to China over Golden Week (the end of April). Should we ask them to request an extension for you?" I appreciated the offer, but I declined and said, "No, thank you." Because I don't believe we must absolutely get the pandas back. If Adventure World had asked for help lobbying for an extension, that would be one thing. But ultimately, this is a matter between Adventure World and China. During talks with Adventure World, I also sensed they didn't want to become politically involved in this issue. Hiroshi Moriyama (far right), chair of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary League, shakes hands with Liu Jianchao, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department. Beijing, April 28. (Pool photograph) I believe the timing was intentional. China likely wanted to maintain control of the situation and preserve its political leverage. Nevertheless, the shock was very real. During Golden Week, crowds rushed to see the pandas one last time before their departure. This past April, a Chinese Communist Party official from Chenghua visited and expressed interest in formalizing the partnership. I told them, "That could be difficult." I have no intention of pursuing a full sister-city relationship. My hope lies with Taiwan. It's a country that shares Japan's core values: freedom, democracy, and human rights. I want to build ties with partners who uphold those principles. Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (©Sankei by Kiyoshi Ouchi) I'm planning to visit Taiwan and meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim on May 22. We've known each other since my days in the Diet. I intend to explain Shirahama's situation and ask her directly for support." As long as I'm mayor of Shirahama, I'll accept the reality that we no longer have pandas. I have no intention of asking the Ishiba administration to bring them back. But if Taiwan is willing to support us in other ways, I'd welcome that wholeheartedly." Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Forward
21-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Pandas Pulled by China: Shirahama Rethinks Its Tourism Future
このページを 日本語 で読む Adventure World in Wakayama has announced that its four giant pandas will be returned to China at the end of June. After that, only two pandas will remain in Japan — at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. But their lease expires in February 2026. As concern grows over the impending departure of the pandas, some observers point out that China has long used panda loans as a tool for hard currency and diplomacy. In an interview with The Sankei Shimbun , Yasuhiro Oe, former House of Councillors lawmaker and current mayor of Shirahama, outlined a new direction for the town's tourism strategy. First of two parts He expressed a clear intention to move away from Shirahama's heavy reliance on pandas, warning that such dependence risks entangling the town in political maneuvering. alt: He expressed the town's clear intention to move away from heavy reliance on pandas, noting the risks of being caught in international political maneuvering. Excerpts of the interview follow. There's no question they've had a major impact. Thanks to Adventure World's efforts, 17 pandas have been born here, and the park has consistently drawn around 900,000 visitors a year. We're already shifting gears. Shirahama has plenty of other attractions: Shirahama Beach, the hot springs, Sandanbeki Cliffs, and the Senjojiki rock plateau. That said, the townscape still lacks the kind of wonder or escape from daily life that modern tourists seek. Wakayama Prefecture's Shirahama Mayor Yasuhiro Oe during an online interview with The Sankei Shimbun. May 8. On August 1, we'll relaunch Shirarahama Beach as the first phase of our "Post-Panda Project." The goal is to highlight tourism assets that can attract visitors in a stable, sustainable way, without being swayed by global dynamics. No. I first heard the news through a call from a town hall staffer who said, "We've got a serious problem." When I rushed back, reporters were already asking for comments, but I couldn't respond until I knew what had actually happened. Later, when I spoke with the zoo director and manager, they explained that China had told them ten years ago that all pandas would need to be returned once the current lease expired. That contract runs out this August. Still, Adventure World could have given us a heads-up — something like, "At some point, we'll need to return them to China." The pandas in Shirahama are under a direct contract between Adventure World and China. Because the agreement involves the Chinese government, the zoo has had to proceed with extreme caution, like walking on eggshells. I imagine over 90% of the negotiations took place behind closed doors. That's just the reality of dealing with China. There's no denying that China uses pandas as diplomatic tools. Ever since the first pair arrived at Ueno Zoo in 1972, they've controlled the terms. We're just the catchers — they're the ones throwing the ball. If it's a clean pitch, that's fine. But when they throw a wild one, we're left scrambling. And that pattern has continued for decades. A former member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly, Oe went on to serve in the House of Councillors from 2001 to 2013. He represented parties, including the Democratic Party of Japan. Earlier in his career, he worked as secretary to former LDP Home Affairs Minister Kazuo Tamaki. It was a role that helped shape his pro-Taiwan stance. As a national lawmaker, the 71-year-old succeeded former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as president of the Asia-East Friendship Association (now the Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association), where he promoted stronger ties between Japan and Taiwan. Continues in: Pandas Exit, Taiwan Enters: Shirahama Mayor Charts New Course Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
South China Morning Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Sorrow in Japan as 4 pandas prepare for China return amid ‘panda politics' accusations
The impending return of four of the last six pandas in Japan to China this summer has sparked an outpouring of sorrow among animal lovers, alongside accusations that Beijing is wielding 'panda politics' as a subtle form of diplomatic pressure on Tokyo. Advertisement Adventure World, a theme park in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, confirmed on April 24 that all four of its giant pandas would return to China in late June. Although the loan agreement for the pandas does not expire until August, their early return has been scheduled to avoid Japan's sweltering summer heat. The pandas' impending departure triggered an outpouring of emotion on social media. 'I almost cried watching the news,' one user wrote. Television personality Matsuko Deluxe, appearing on the Tokyo MX channel, lamented the loss: 'It's sad. What kind of country does not have pandas? Koala bears are not enough. Isn't having pandas like part of a country's power?' By next year, Japan could face the unthinkable: a future without pandas. The last two remaining pandas in the country — three-year-old siblings Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, currently living at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo — are scheduled to return to China when their loan agreement ends in February 2026. Advertisement Efforts by several Japanese zoos and government officials to secure replacement pandas from China have reportedly gone unanswered, fuelling speculation that the lack of response is more than a simple bureaucratic delay.
