Article:
In a poignant farewell ceremony, thousands gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday to bid adieu to Japan’s last two giant pandas, Shanshan and Le Le. The pandas will be sent back to China on Tuesday, marking the end of pandas’ diplomatic stint in the country. This move follows strained relations between Japan and China, particularly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement that Japan would intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.
For the first time in nearly 50 years, Japan will be without pandas, a result of the country’s deteriorating relations with China. The pandas’ departure comes after China’s ambassador to Japan criticized Takaichi’s statement, sparking a diplomatic row between the two nations.
Pandas have been a symbol of friendship and goodwill between China and other countries, including Japan, since 1949. However, China retains ownership of all pandas, including those born abroad, and charges host countries an annual fee of around $1 million per pair. Japan has been paying this fee since the pandas arrived in 1972, when diplomatic relations between the two countries normalized.
As the pandas prepared to leave, emotions ran high at the zoo, with thousands gathering to catch a glimpse of the beloved animals. The pandas’ departure marks a significant milestone in Japan’s diplomatic relations with China, which have been strained in recent years due to various issues, including territorial disputes and trade tensions.
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