Twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei to leave Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo amid diplomatic row

Twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are set to leave Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on Tuesday, and their departure will mark the first time that Japan has been without pandas in more than half a century.

Lucky lottery winners were given one minute each to say goodbye as crowds flocked to the zoo. Since December, about 4,800 people per day — nearly 200,000 in total — have applied for visits, and the pair, born at Ueno in 2021, remained on loan as part of China’s longstanding panda diplomacy program.

Their planned return comes after negotiations over potential replacements stalled following November comments by Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan. Beijing responded by urging Chinese tourists to avoid Japan, restricting some Japanese seafood imports and increasing military patrols; China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated travel warnings on Monday and several Chinese airlines extended cancellation policies.

The departure on Tuesday leaves uncertainty about whether pandas will return soon. The article notes there are signs Japan may remain panda free for the foreseeable future and that some experts have suggested the move could be intended to send a message to Japanese citizens; what effect that might have is described as unpredictable.

Key Topics

World, Xiao Xiao, Lei Lei, Ueno Zoo, Sanae Takaichi, Chinese Foreign Ministry