The Twilight of Panda Diplomacy: China's Iconic Ambassadors Return Home.| Digging to China

hi thank you for watching dig into CH I'm Don Shan if you have not done so already please subscribe to my channel thank you very much on November 8th CNN reported the three giant pandas tumble around in their enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC munching on bamboo shoes and leaves climbing branches and generally looking adorable for the steady streams of visitors it's their last chance to see 10 May Shan and their youngest cup Shia chii before the black and white Bears head back to China on Wednesday their departure marks the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo which was the first US Zoo to showcase the Bears as part of what's been called Panda diplomacy today let's delve into the subject of Panda's exploring the phenomenon known as Panda diplomacy there are some misconceptions about panda diplomacy which has evolved over many years first and foremost it was not initiated by the CCP the well-known incident dates back to 1972 when US President Nixon visited China prior to that visit Nixon's staff had already inquired about pandas and during his visit Nixon himself expressed admiration for these animals mentioning their cuteness China interpret this as an indication that Americans might might be interested in pandas consequently just two months after Nixon's visit to China China sent a pair of pandas to the United States marking what is commonly recognized as initiation of panda diplomacy so how did someone like Nixon became so acknowledgeable and interested in pandas in fact receiving pandas was not a new experience for Americans in 1941 during the time of the Nationalist government Madame Chang Kai shed the first lady of of the Republic of China sent two female pandas to the United States through the United China relief unfortunately one Panda died in 1945 and the other in 1951 this marked the China's initial Panda gift to the United States in 1946 the Nationalist government also sent a female Panda to the London Zoo but it's exact time of death is unknown as there are no records available on this matter it can be said that Nick harbored an interest in pandas likely having encountered them during his formative years he expressed fondness for pandas prompt the Chinese Communist party to swiftly give to two marking the true initiation of panda diplomacy when did this era conclude in 1982 precisely a decade later throughout these 10 years nine countries received a total of 24 pandas from China surprisingly North Korea took the lead receiving five five pandas as gifts Japan followed closely behind with four pandas housed in way noou the fate of these pandas sent to North Korea remains sparsely documented leaving much to speculation regarding their care and the condition in the nation with limited resources nevertheless the Chinese are particularly intrigued by how Americans handle Panda Care on February 1st 2023 the giant panda L residing in the United States passed away at the age of 25 sparking heated the discussion on Chinese social media many in China criticized the Memphis Zoo where L lived accusing it of animal abuse in response the zoo maintained that L dis demise was a result of old age despite subsequent investigations by Chinese experts which attributed the deaths to a natural cardiac condition associated with age the criticism persisted online the controversy even raised concerns about the possible early return of pandas including yayya from the United States to China this incident exemplified the ccp's strategy of manipulating National sentiments a method frequently employed to shape public opinion by 1982 China's Panda diplomacy encountered obstacles due to negative impacts on animal conservation sparking significant opposition consequently the Chinese Communist Party ceased the practice of gifting pandas nevertheless Panda diplomacy persisted through alternative means such as touring exhibitions and leasing Arrangements offering opportunities for both Fame and Fortune the annual rental fee for a panda reached $1 million typically with a 10-year lease cting $10 million foreign zoos recognizing the Panda's Allure capitalized on this by selling tickets for panda viewings in locations like way no zoo in Japan obtaining tickets is no longer a matter of standing in line but involves a lottery system due to high demand during that era a substantial number of pandas were transported overseas through leasing arrangements and touring exhibitions for instance pandas were dispatched to participate in events like the Olympics to attract attention while this brought Fame and financial gain it also faced significant opposition why because pandas are considered an umbrella species what does this mean if you declare the presence of pandas in a specific area that area essentially becomes a natural reserve preventing other commercial developments the panda species acting as a protective umbrella safeguards a variety of species throughout the entire region therefore pandas are referred to as umbrella species and a protecting pandas translates to the protection of numerous Wildlife species in the area therefore in that period perod The numerous wild appendant were captured and sent abroad on lease to generate a foreign exchange however this spared opposition from animal rights protection organizations the US government took a Firm Stance declaring a ban on any further leased pandas leading to contentious disputes which unfolded in the 1980s as the 1990s approached the practice of leasing Panda evolved into collaborative research efforts China and the foreign Nations began joint research on Panda reproduction and the feasibility of their relocation this shift allowed the Panda's leasing to continue under the guise of scientific exploration besides paying substantial rents Chinese researchers were required to secure visas making it a lucrative arrangement for China consequently pandas were extensively sent abroad masquerading as research initiatives serving as an extended form of what is known as Panda diplomacy this strategy not only brought in Revenue but also fostered positive perceptions pandas with their endearing demeanor became effective ambassadors of goodwi upon seeing pandas foreigners would immediately think of China solidifying pandas as iconic symbols and representatives of China's image why has Panda diplomacy come to a close pandas residing abroad are making their way back to China and there is a cessation of renewing Panda Research contracts this change is associated with the ascendancy of domestic nationalism and the adoption of an assertive wolf Warrior diplomatic style substituting the panda image with that of a wolf warrior in this scenario the wolf or more precisely the war dog is fervently making its presence known on the Diplomatic front why can't China balance both pandas and WF Warriors once the Chinese Communist Party triggers nationalist sentiments with the wolf Warrior image it becomes challenging to control the situation for instance the domestic outcry in China demanding the early return of panda Yaya after feuring such a substantial opposition force and inciting Nationalist and extreme patriotic sentiments if the CCP were to renew the Panda Research contract and extend the lease for another 10 years would it work no it wouldn't doing so would face a backlash from the fanatical youth cultivated by the CCP thus Panda diplomacy concludes and the future will follow the wolf Warrior diplomacy path after all whether pandas or Wolves they are just animals neither are human currently pandas worldwide are returning to China as their Leasing and research contracts come to an end the leasing Agreements are clear even if a Panda gives birth to CBS abroad they maintain Chinese nationality and cannot stay outside of China pandas are exclusively found in China with nationalism proving to be a double-edged sword that if mishandled can lead to self-inflicted wounds in the recent APAC Summit held in San Francisco there was a shift in China's assertive diplomatic approach when Biden met with Xi Jinping on October 30th the people's daily published a commentary emphasizing the need to maintain Sino us relations it seems that the Chinese Communist Party aimed to easily sway public opinion utilizing pandas or adopting a more aggressive stance as circumstances requires yet the CCP seems to recognize the difficulty of quing populist sentiments once they are ignited consequently pandas are now returning to mainland China so pandas will no longer be visible to the rest of the world what's the significance of this it's a relatively minor loss when the CCP is deped it results to restricting the export of mineral raw materials in July the CCP decided to impose export controls on Gan and germanium related items in October it declared export controls on graphite while the CCP can impose restrictions on these resources the impact is comparable to recording pandas can export restrictions really strangle Western countries and the rest of the world that's highly unlikely the comprehensive map of a free Society is not just a geographical layout it involves economic and political aspects in this world no mineral is exclusive to China except for panda however other minerals and natural resources are not limited to China it's just that in those years other countries deemed it economically unviable to produce on their own and China offered the coste effective options so they chose to buy from China once the CCP enforces restrictions rebuilding production lines in a free Society is not a formidable task the only challenge may be a temporary period of insufficient Supply however once the supply chain is reconstructed they can break free from this dependency China is intertwined with the global Community but the world can function without China and it's just a matter of determining the associated costs this analogy is akin to pandas initially intended for worldwide research and observation although pandas cannot be isolated from the global Community their absence outside of China wouldn't result in substantial losses if Panda diplomacy has truly come to an end then let it be thank you for watching please leave a comment and subscribe to my channel just click the Subscribe button right here I'll See You Again shortly until then be well