Panda Diplomacy ends: Japan's last pandas set to return to China

Panda Diplomacy between Japan and China is coming to an end amid intensifying tensions as the last pair of pandas in Japan is set to return to China in January next year.

The Tokyo Metropolitan has announced that the twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, born in 2021, would be available for public viewing for the last time on January 25, 2026. 

The return will mark a symbolic end to the friendly relations between both countries amid tensions over Taiwan.

The pandas were previously scheduled to return in February and Tokyo was trying to get their stay extended but failed. Now, they will be returned earlier than the deadline.

Their parents, Shin Shin and her mate Ri Ri, stayed in Japan for 13 years from 2011 to 2024, before being returned due to old age and the need for specialised medical treatment.

Pandas have been part of Chinese diplomacy for a long-time now. Under Panda Diplomacy, China often sends pandas to different countries as a friendly gesture; however, the ownership is retained by China.

After the return of the last pair of pandas, Japan will be left without the animal for the first time since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1972.

The panda is considered an unofficial mascot of China.