In the world of international diplomacy, not many ambassadors are universally adored. But with their fuzzy ears, wobbly walk, and bamboo-munching charm, pandas of China might seem like an exception and play a unique role in global diplomacy and international relations.
Similar to your favorite Kung Fu Panda, these pandas also shoulder the responsibility of protecting their country from any political and diplomatic tension. Behind their cute and fluffy appearance is a carefully orchestrated political strategy of China, known as Panda Diplomacy, which is undoubtedly China’s most unique soft power tool.
But what is China’s Panda Diplomacy and how it has been using it as a soft power currency? Let’s find out.
What Is Panda Diplomacy?
Panda diplomacy is a form of China’s soft power diplomacy in which the giant fluffy pandas are either loaned or sent as a gift to other countries as a symbol of friendship and diplomatic goodwill. More often, China signs long-term leases with foreign zoos. China has around 1800 pandas living in its wild forests as well as carefully built panda facilities, but the country has at least 65 more pandas that it has lent out to around 20 countries in the world.
The practice of lending pandas dates back to Tang Dynasty and was revived again during the Cold war. This soft power tool has allowed China to project an image of a peaceful and cooperative nation, while it subtly reinforces its global influence. Panda diplomacy also serves a means to enforce China’s cultural outreach, making these cuddly bears a unique yet powerful ambassadors.
A Tradition Rooted in China’s History
The giant smiley bears were first gifted as China’s diplomatic ambassadors during the Tang Dynasty (618-904). Since then, the tradition has continued, with a few minor breaks and bumps, to this day.
In 1972, during the Cold War, the United States received its first shipment of two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, after the former First Lady of the United States, Pat Nixon, commented during a ceremony in China about her love for these fluffy creatures.
From Gifts to Rentals: A Strategic Shift in China’s Policy
In 1984, panda diplomacy changed. Now, instead of sending pandas as a gift, China decided to loan them to other countries for up to ten years, which could be extended if the relations were smooth. This shift in policy not only allowed China to keep building its global image but also helped China build “guanxi”, a Mandarin term for trust building.
Under this evolved policy, China decided to lend a pair of pandas to foreign zoos for up to $1 million a year. In case any cubs were born, they were to remain China’s property and were usually repatriated back to China after a few years.
The deals to lent chubby pandas were mostly signed after a significant diplomatic shift or a trade milestone was achieved in China’s bilateral relations.
Preservation Strategy or Simply Public Relations?
Supporters of animal preservation argue that China’s panda diplomacy is a way to promote global cooperation in preservation of pandas, which are unfortunately becoming vulnerable with time. Zoos that host China’s pandas often participate in joint research and breeding initiatives with Chinese institutions, helping China in advancing knowledge on panda biology and the preservation of panda habitat.
Critics on the other hand, point out to the blurred line between China’s panda preservation and its public diplomacy. Although it is true that the panda population, which was termed as extinct before 2016, has now improved to the status of “vulnerable,” critics argue that China’s renting these pandas serve its soft power diplomacy agenda more than actual specie preservation.
For instance, China sent pandas on lease to France in 2012 right after signing major trade agreements with the country. Similarly, in 2014, it loaned pandas to Malaysia to celebrate 40 years of strong diplomatic ties. Even Scottland saw the arrival of pandas after it signed a major energy agreement with China.
More recently, last year, Chinese Premier, Li Qiang, made a classic move to send pandas to Australia after the resolution of a diplomatic dispute that made China impose a number of restrictions on Australian agricultural and mineral exports in 2020.
Nevertheless, these Pandas have long acted as four-legged emissaries of goodwill, often arriving in the recipient country making headlines, and leading to fanfares that elevate China’s soft power image in international media.
What Happens to Pandas When Bilateral Relations Dive?
When tensions arise, pandas can be withdrawn, both symbolically and literally. For example, in 2010, China called back its pandas from the United States when their relations became tense during conflicts over arms sales to Taiwan and President Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama, despite China’s warnings. Similarly in 2023, China called back its last three pandas from the United States, which many perceived as a sign of emerging conflict over arms and trade.
Some critics have also raised ethical concerns over the role of pandas as an emotional hostage of diplomacy rather than a friendly gesture of cultural expansion.
Future of Panda Diplomacy
Amid rising economic, political and trade tensions between China and the Western countries, experts question whether China’s long-held panda diplomacy would continue to work or not? The ongoing debates over animal cruelty and ethics have all but complicated the message these panda diplomats are meant to send.
But the modern panda agreements signed between China and San Diago’s Zoo, last year, indicate that this traditional strategy of China is far from being outdated and over. There might be some nooks and crannies resulting from the ongoing geopolitical conflicts, but China’s panda diplomacy would continue to thrive.
So, the next time when you find a panda at your local zoo, understand that it is not only there to munch on your local bamboo and cuddle with you in between naps, but it is also working tirelessly as a soft-spoken and gentle emissary of China in your country.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, transatlantic geopolitics, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
