China could soon be sending giant pandas to the U.S. for the first time in years, reigniting “panda diplomacy” between the two countries.
The China Wildlife Conservation Assn. has secured agreements with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the Madrid Zoo Aquarium of Spain regarding the conservation of giant pandas, according to Xinhua, China’s news agency.
Pandaplomacy is absolutely a thing. That said, much like in the Cold War, it’s good for nuclear superpowers with big armies to have a certain degree of open communication and, if not warm, at least cordial relations. Helps defuse potential problems early, before they turn into news articles.
So, I welcome the move on that basis alone.
On top of that, the move does have symbolic power, as the panda occupies a similar place in China as bald eagles do here in the US. Anything that warms feelings between Chinese and American citizens themselves is probably a good thing.
Better check that panda for spyware.
ATTENTION CITIZEN! 市民请注意!
This is the Central Intelligentsia of the Chinese Communist Party. 您的 Internet 浏览器历史记录和活动引起了我们的注意 YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITY HAS ATTRACTED OUR ATTENTION. 這是通知你，你必須 我們將接管台灣 serious crime 以及世界其他地方 100 social credits have been deducted from your account 這對我們所有未來的下屬來說都是一個重要的機會 stop the protest immediately 立即加入我們的宣傳活動，提前獲得 do not do this again! 不要再这样做! if you do not hesitate, more social credits ( -11115 social credits )will be subtracted from your profile, resulting in the subtraction of ration supplies. (由人民供应部重新分配 ccp) you’ll also be sent into a re-education camp in the xinjiang uyghur autonomous zone.
为党争光! Glory to the CCP!
Los Angeles Times – Bias and Credibility
Bias Rating: Left-Center
Factual Reporting: High
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: Mostly Free
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: High Credibility
I really hope Ron Burgundy from the channel 4 news team covers this.
The only thing that zoos are great for in the internet age is to help maintaining the diversity in an endangered species gene pool.
However, when it comes to China and pandas it would be wise to think twice. The pandas are on loan from China and on multiple occasions, when fx there has been a diplomatic conflict, pandas have been requested by China to be sent back.
The main reason China send pandas abroad is not to helping the species survive but to have diplomatic aces up their sleeve.
Because of this and that animals caged up / brought to a habitat that is not natural to them is cruel/wrong, it’s just better to either travel to China and go on a Panda safari or just put on a YouTube playlist of 4 hours of panda videos.