Japanese media reported on 15/12 that the panda pair Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, currently residing at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, will be sent back to China next month. This return is a month earlier than their loan agreement's expiration in February 2026. According to Nikkei, the Tokyo government had requested to keep the popular pandas, but China did not agree. Asahi also reported that Tokyo is seeking to borrow a new panda pair, although it is unlikely they will arrive before Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao return. The Tokyo government has not yet responded to this matter.

Cap gau truc Lei Lei va Xiao Xiao tai vuon thu Ueno, Tokyo, hoi thang 3/2023. Anh: Reuters

This repatriation means Japan will be without pandas for the first time in half a century. These beloved animals were first sent to Japan as part of "panda diplomacy" following the normalization of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Tokyo in 1972. Ueno Zoo has long benefited from this policy, collaborating with facilities in China and the US to successfully breed the species. Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were born in 2021, offspring of Shin Shin. Shin Shin arrived in Japan in 2011 and returned to China last year.

The decision to recall the pandas comes amidst heightened Japan-China tensions, particularly concerning Taiwan. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Tokyo could deploy its self-defense forces in the event of an attack on Taiwan if the conflict posed an existential threat to Japan. Taiwan is located 100 kilometers from Japan's nearest island. This statement pushed Japan-China relations into a crisis. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has declared its readiness to use force if necessary. While Prime Minister Takaichi recently sought to de-escalate the situation, Beijing has not accepted this, demanding she retract her statement regarding Taiwan.