All articles tagged with #ueno zoo
Thousands said goodbye to Japan's last two giant pandas at the Ueno Zoo as Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei prepare to be returned to China on Tuesday, a poignant moment amid worsening Tokyo-Beijing tensions over Taiwan; China owns all pandas on loan to foreign countries, typically for about 10 years with roughly $1 million annual fees, and the future of panda loans to Japan remains uncertain as diplomatic strains escalate.
The final public viewing of twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo precedes their return to China amid worsening Japan–China relations, leaving Japan panda-free for the first time in decades and casting doubt on new loan deals amid diplomatic strains; fans and locals fear the cultural and economic impact.
Twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are set to be flown from Tokyo to China, ending more than five decades of panda loans to Japan and highlighting a chill in Sino-Japanese ties amid Taiwan tensions; Beijing has indicated no replacement pandas will be sent, making the era of pandas as a diplomatic symbol in Japan unlikely to resume soon.
Thousands visited Tokyo's Ueno Zoo to see the last of the twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, before their return to China amid worsening Japan-China relations, marking the first time in over 50 years Japan will be without pandas on loan from China, with prospects for new pandas uncertain due to diplomatic tensions.