How do China’s panda loans work and how has panda diplomacy evolved?

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For China, giant pandas play a dual role as symbols of soft power as well as icons of global conservation. In a similar way, China’s panda diplomacy signals Beijing’s favour with other countries at the same time as it upholds a commitment to save the species from extinction. The Post takes a look at how panda diplomacy has evolved through different eras of Chinese leadership, and the hard cash that goes into the practice.