China took pandas from the United States that had “diplomatic” significance
[ad_1]
Pandas Meixiang, Tiantian and Xiao Qiji, who lived at the Smithsonian Washington Zoo since 2000, have left the United States for China, cbs.com reports.
The lease for the only pandas in the United States was reportedly not renewed due to difficult relations between the countries.
Plans to remove the animals from Washington were announced at the end of September by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who said that the presence of pandas in the United States “has shortened the spiritual distance between the people of the United States and China.”
The PRC practices so-called panda diplomacy, “loaning” these animals to one country or another. Pandas, like their offspring, remain the property of the PRC during their stay abroad.
[ad_2]
Source link
