China’s panda diplomacy helps strengthen ties with Europe

When observing the ChinaEU relationship since 2012, it can be seen that pandas have played an important role in helping bring the two sides closer together.

When Xi Jinping made his first visit to the European Union as Chinese president in early 2014, he inaugurated a panda garden in Pairi Daiza, a zoo about 60 kilometers away from Brussels, with Belgium’s King Philippe.

It is noteworthy that panda diplomacy was also a highlight during Xi’s second state visit to Germany, in Hamburg in July this year. During the trip, as well as attending the G20 summit, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed two Chinese pandas to Berlin Zoo together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband.

It means Xi’s European diplomacy between the 18th and 19th National Congresses of the Communist Party of China was kicked off and wrapped up with pandas.

Apart from those diplomatic arrangements, when President Xi visited Finland in April, the Nordic country entered into agreement for the loan of two pandas from China. Shortly after that, in May, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen visited Chengdu in Sichuan province, which is the hometown of pandas, and visited two of the pandas that are expected to arrive in his country soon. Two pandas also arrived in the Netherlands during the first half of this year.

And many Europeans have been encouraged to visit China after seeing the pandas in European zoos.