Panda diplomacy: tears of joy as China extends Xiang Xiang’s stay in Japan

Top attraction at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens was due to return to China in December, but will now stay five more months due to Covid-related travel disruption

Beijing has also consented to her parents, father Ri Ri and mother Shin Shin, to stay in Japan for a further five years beyond February

Reading Time:2 minutes

Giant panda cub Xiang Xiang at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:57pm, 11 Dec 2020Updated: 9:52pm, 11 Dec 2020

Panda-lovers in Japan have reacted with joy to the news that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has reached an agreement with China for a panda cub to remain in Japan for five more months, while her parents will be staying for five more years.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday that Xiang Xiang – the female cub that was born at the city’s Ueno Zoological Gardens in June 2017 and has since become arguably the zoo’s top attraction – will be staying until May.

Under an agreement with Beijing, Xiang Xiang had been due to return to China in December and, it was hoped, would breed.

Tokyo has been lobbying hard to keep the young panda, but the decision for her to stay appears to be largely a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo officials told Kyodo News. Xiang Xiang had been expected to fly to a specialist facility in Sichuan province, but flights between Tokyo and Sichuan in southwest China have been suspended due to the health crisis.

Beijing has also consented to her parents, father Ri Ri and mother Shin Shin, to stay in Japan beyond the expiry of their original loan agreement of February. It now appears that the pandas, which arrived in Japan in February 2011, will remain for a further five years beyond February.

Giant panda Shin Shin, mother of Xiang Xiang, will stay in Japan for another five years. Photo: AFP

An official of the zoo said it had not received official confirmation from the metropolitan government about the extension, but added that the information desk had already received “many, many phone calls” to inquire about the news.

Fumio Takenaka, a housewife from Yokohama, said her 7-year-old daughter Ayano was “so happy” to hear that the panda cub would stay for a few more months.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x