Panda-monium: Why China is Taking Back Its Best Diplomats

Giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian at the Smithsonian National Zoo in 2011. Photo by Ann Batdorf.

The population of giant pandas living in China is set to rise—but not because of a boom in reproduction or breakthrough conservation techniques. Rather, China is requesting the return of nearly all of the 65 pandas that it has loaned to countries around the world. The bears currently residing in Scotland, the United States, the Netherlands, and Australia have their return flights booked for, at the latest, the end of 2024.

This massive panda recall movement is symbolic of the chilling relations between China and the West. More than just beloved zoo animals, China’s giant pandas evoke the political leanings of their home country and can serve as valuable indicators of China’s imminent foreign policy.

For centuries, China has used so-called “panda diplomacy” to showcase their soft power. Giant pandas are native to the mountain ranges of south central China; this rarity, combined with the animals’ natural lovability, have made pandas highly desired guests in zoos across the world. Since its dynastic period, giant pandas have served as cultural and diplomatic envoys who help China curry favor with other states, express thanks, or signal an ongoing willingness to cooperate. The gifting or loaning of pandas, thus, generally follows a diplomatic success of some kind between China and the recipient nation. 

Japan received its first pandas in 1972 after signing a momentous accord with China that intended to normalize relations between the neighboring states after decades of tension and violence. Also in 1972, the United States was gifted two pandas after President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon made a historic state visit to China in the middle of the Cold War. Scotland was sent two pandas in 2011 after they reached an oil deal with China. Such milestone diplomatic breakthroughs have been the impetus for nearly all of China’s panda diplomacy.

By 1984, China pivoted away from gifting its pandas, instead adopting a 10 year lease policy with an option to extend the loan period. Up until 2023, it has extended most of its leases years or decades past their initial expiration date. However, China has recently issued a nearly-global recall of its prized diplomats. With its deal set to extend until 2035, Russia is the only country that is sure to have pandas for the foreseeable future. 

Given pandas’ significance as a symbol of goodwill and cooperation, China’s removal of the animals from “Western” nations signals a widening ideological, diplomatic, and economic chasm between the Chinese-aligned and western blocs. As Xi Jinping’s China descends further into total authoritarianism and draws closer to Putin’s Russia, the capitalist-communist, pluralistic-autocratic struggle is becoming increasingly reminiscent of the Cold War. 

China and Russia are using their membership in multilateral institutions to counter the growing western influence in Asia. The two nations have collaborated in establishing and advancing BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), both of which serve to facilitate greater regional unity and an expansive sphere of influence over the developing world. Since 2019—when China initiated the panda loan period—the nations have increased their bilateral trade capacity exponentially, and Russia has become China’s fastest growing trade partner. Concurrently, they are each experiencing a dramatic decline in trade relations with the West. Since its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Russia’s economic ties with the rest of the world have largely been severed with the exception of China and several other ideologically-aligned states. Notably, in 2022, Russia lost its position as a main trade partner of the European Union. Given the strong cultural and economic interdependence that Russia and China have built with each other, China’s recent reduction of panda diplomacy can be seen as a strategic show of solidarity with its ally. The continuation of China’s panda partnership with Russia further validates the trend of deepening collaboration and shared interests between the two nations.

By removing its pandas from the care of Western countries, China is signaling a new phase of its schism with the West. The fluffy diplomats have served as tokens of thanks or as soft promises of continued cooperation; however, as the ever-strengthening Sino-Russian axis becomes more economically and socially isolated, China has deemed other countries unworthy of the giant pandas. China is no longer willing to send such valuable cultural capital away to Western countries that are a perceived threat to the very existence of Chinese values and sovereignty. Perhaps, then, the pandas are a precursor to a full rejection of the West and the beginning of a new standoff between two diametrically opposed blocs. 

In recent days, Xi Jinping has alluded to the possibility of pandas returning to the United States. This announcement does not undermine the significance of the recent wave of panda removals—the scale and abruptness of the removals sent a signal of rejection to the Western world that remains potent. For now, it is too soon to draw conclusions about Xi’s words—if ever the pandas do return, they will speak for themselves.

Amelia Hegstrom (CC ‘26) is a Staff Writer for CPR studying political science and human rights. Her main interests include foreign policy and international human rights law. Originally from Seattle, she enjoys playing tennis and trying new Chinese restaurants.