Leilei and Xiaoxiao, the twin pandas, are leaving Japan and returning to China amid deteriorating relations between the two countries. This event marks the end of a 50-year era of pandas in Japan, and now there are no more of these animals left in the country.
The escalation of tensions reached its peak when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takachi hinted at the possibility of military intervention by Tokyo in the event of an attack on Taiwan. In response, China rejected requests from the Japanese side to extend the lease of the pandas or to supply new ones.
This move underscores the significance of China's "panda diplomacy," which has served as a symbol of friendship between Japan and China since the normalization of their relations in 1972. China is not the only country using animals in its diplomacy; other countries also employ similar strategies, such as Thailand with its elephants and Australia with koalas.
