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China’s Panda Diplomacy Reversal
February 14 , 2026
18 hrs 0 min
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- China’s giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were returned from Japan’s Ueno Zoological Gardens to China in January 2026, ending over five decades of continuous panda presence in Japan.
- Their return marks the first time since 1972 that Japan has no giant pandas in the country.
- Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were born in 2021 at Ueno Zoo but are owned by China under its long‑standing panda diplomacy programme.
- The move was originally scheduled for February 2026 but was brought forward by agreement; pandas are usually sent back after the loan period ends.
- This departure ended a symbolic era of panda friendship between Japan and China and occurred amid strained bilateral relations.
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