Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Europe

    Panda diplomacy wins hearts and minds for China

    By Chris Peterson | China Daily Europe | Updated: 2017-06-16 08:40
    Share
    Share - WeChat

    They're not just lovable, furry creatures - these animals have played an important role in international relations

    At the last count, there were 24 zoos in 14 countries playing host to China's giant pandas, which have become the most pampered diplomats in the world.

    Diplomats? Well, since 1958, Beijing has used the giant panda as a very effective way of establishing relations with various countries, while at the same time building a lifeline for what was for years an endangered species.

    In 2016, the giant panda's status was changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a tribute to China's conservation efforts over the past decades.

    Penalties for hunting giant pandas in China are severe. Two years ago State media reported 10 men had been arrested for killing one and selling its pelt and fur. Under a law introduced in 1984, offenders can face 10 years in prison or, in what are termed "grave circumstances", a life sentence or even the death penalty can by imposed.

    Happily, the last survey published in 2016 showed there were 1,864 adult pandas living in the wild, mostly in conservation areas - and adding an official estimate of cubs, that figure rises to 2,060.

    Giant pandas live mainly in the bamboo thick forests of the western mountains of China, with conservation areas totaling 1.54 million hectares set aside for them to the west of the city of Chengdu.

    London Zoo had, famously, a privately acquired giant panda called Ming which lived at there from 1938 to 1944. She is credited with raising the spirits of Londoners during World War II and a statue commemorating her now stands on the zoo's grounds.

    It was the breakthrough visit of US president Richard Nixon in 1972 that triggered the gift of two giant pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing. Their arrival at the National Zoo in Washington, DC was a runaway success, with more than 1.1 million visitors viewing them in the first year.

    So effective was their presence in the West that UK prime minister Edward Heath, keen to foster relations with China, successfully asked on behalf of his country for two giant pandas, Chia Chia and Ching Ching, in 1974.

    Some 10 years later, however, the arrangements changed.

    Under a new deal, giant pandas remained the property of China and were "leased" to chosen Western zoos for $1 million a year, with any cubs born to the animals automatically becoming Chinese-owned.

    The US, for example, passed a law that, of the money paid for any giant pandas leased to its zoos, 50 percent would be guaranteed to be used by China for conservation efforts.

    In 2006, then US trade secretary Robert Zoellick was photographed hugging a giant panda cub during a visit to Sichuan province. The Chinese media gave extensive coverage to the picture, which was widely interpreted by analysts as meaning the Americans wanted deeper ties with China, particularly in the area of trade.

    As diplomats, China's giant pandas have a life of ease when residing in Western zoos.

    They have a constant supply of their favorite staple, bamboo, flown in from China. They also have at least one Chinese keeper, assigned by the authorities in Chengdu, to look after them.

    In the Netherlands, Xing Ya and his female companion WuWen arrived from Chengdu earlier this year and immediately settled into a specially built "Panda Village" at Ourwehand Zoo in the central town of Rehenen.

    An estimated 420 giant pandas live in zoos in both China and abroad - a living example of China's national animal and its effect on foreign relations.

    The author is managing editor for China Daily, Europe. Contact the author at chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com

    (China Daily European Weekly 06/16/2017 page8)

    Today's Top News

    Editor's picks

    Most Viewed

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    精品久久亚洲中文无码| 亚洲一区精品无码| 日日摸日日碰夜夜爽无码| 亚洲一区中文字幕久久| 97免费人妻无码视频| 四虎影视无码永久免费| 精品人妻中文字幕有码在线| AV无码一区二区大桥未久| 亚洲人成影院在线无码按摩店| 日本免费中文字幕| 中文字字幕在线中文乱码不卡| 日韩精品无码熟人妻视频| 伊人久久综合无码成人网| 中文字幕免费在线| 无码中文av有码中文a| 亚洲AV无码成人精品区大在线| 国产精品99精品无码视亚| 亚洲AV综合色区无码一区| 人妻AV中出无码内射| 天堂а√在线地址中文在线 | 99无码熟妇丰满人妻啪啪| 亚洲爆乳精品无码一区二区三区| 亚洲一区日韩高清中文字幕亚洲| 亚洲精品乱码久久久久久中文字幕| 日韩视频无码日韩视频又2021 | 久久久久久亚洲AV无码专区| 中文字幕有码无码AV| 中文字幕日韩欧美一区二区| 乱人伦人妻中文字幕无码| 最近最新免费中文字幕高清| 乱人伦中文字幕在线看| 中文字幕不卡高清视频在线| 无码av免费毛片一区二区 | 最新中文字幕AV无码不卡| 亚洲精品97久久中文字幕无码 | 亚洲国产精品无码专区影院 | 亚洲精品高清无码视频| 亚洲av日韩av高潮潮喷无码 | 国产精品无码久久久久久| 狠狠精品干练久久久无码中文字幕| 在线看无码的免费网站|