Ya Ya the Panda Sparks Nationalist Sentiment in China

The return of a giant panda from the US to China has become a symbol of deteriorating relations between the two countries, with Chinese nationalists accusing the Memphis Zoo of mistreating the bear. Ya Ya, who arrived in the US in 2003, was due to return to China this year after the end of a 20-year loan, but her male companion, Le Le, died suddenly of heart disease in February, further fueling suspicions of mistreatment. As part of China’s “panda diplomacy,” these bears are meant to serve as an envoy of friendship between China and their host country.