Panda cub raises fresh hopes of better China-Japan relations

Friendship may no longer be the catchphrase in China-Japan relations. But the black-and-white cuddly creatures from China continue to endear themselves to Japanese fans. In a notice announcing the birth of a giant panda cub posted at its entrance last Monday, Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo has asked visitors to maintain silence in the panda enclave. The panda father, Ri Ri, is on solo show while the mother, Shin Shin, with her cub, is now on maternity leave.

“We would like to provide her (Shin Shin) with a calm and comfortable environment so that she can concentrate on childcare,” the zoo notice says.

The zoo has reason to be careful about the newborn panda. In 2012, the panda couple lost their first cub six days after it was born, reducing the zoo director to tears. In 2013, Japanese panda fans were abuzz with the news of Shin Shin’s second pregnancy, which, however, turned out to be a false alarm.

Congratulating Shin Shin, for the successful delivery, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is planning to ask the Japanese public to suggest a name for the newborn. And after hearing that Shin Shin has successfully delivered a cub, 84-year-old Japanese entertainer and writer Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, said: “This is the happiest moment of my recent life.”

Economists see pandas as a “good investment” as they attract more visitors and increase a zoo’s revenue, especially if they give birth to cubs. In fact, Katsuhiro Miyamoto, professor emeritus at the Osakabased Kansai University, has argued that Shin Shin’s delivery will boost Tokyo’s economy by 26.7 billion yen ($244 million) a year, as he estimates 5.66 million visitors will visit Ueno Zoo this year, up 47.2 percent from 3.8 million last year.

Pandas are a diplomatic symbol of China’s goodwill and nurture political relations. “Panda diplomacy” can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), as Empress Wu Zetian (624-705) sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor as a gift.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga described a panda ... as “one of the great testaments to the Japan-China friendship”.