Panda diplomacy to live on? China’s Xi hints U.S. may get more bears.
Yes, it is possible that panda diplomacy could live on. In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted that the United States may receive more pandas as a way for China to strengthen its bond with the U.S. The suggestion was made during a press conference at the end of his visit to the U.S. “I think this gift of pandas will help to boost our people-to-people exchanges,” he said. This would not be the first time that China has used the iconic animal to strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries. Pandas had long been used as goodwill ambassadors in other countries like Japan, South Korea, and Spain. While there has been no movement on Xi’s suggestion since 2018, there is the potential for the practice of panda diplomacy to continue.