Panda Diplomacy | China promised Australia pandas, even though not long ago the relations between the two countries were frozen – where does the fraternity come from?

China’s prime minister Li Qiang promised on Sunday at the Adelaide Zoo that Australia is getting giant pandas.

China’s panda diplomacy is a familiar concept, but in light of the tensions of recent years, the granting of black and white fluffy bears specifically to Australia is attracting attention.

The relationship between the two countries was at a low ebb for several years. In 2020, China imposed huge tariffs on Australian products in anger at Australia’s demand to start an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus. The tariffs were a severe economic blow to Australia, as almost half of its exports went to China.

China and Australia also clashed over human rights and espionage, and Australia banned the Chinese company Huawei from building a 5g mobile network for it. China was also troubled by the Aukus defense agreement signed by Australia, Great Britain and the United States, which it considered to be directed against itself.

However, last year China lifted economic sanctions on Australia, released a jailed Australian journalist and hosted Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese – he has a calmer attitude towards China than his predecessor Scott Morrison.

In November, HS’s Beijing correspondent at the time Mari Manninen evaluate in his analysisthat China may have seen Australia as a kind of experiment in pressure policy but found it ineffective and therefore decided to curb its swagger.

Prime minister At the weekend, Li Qiang became the highest-ranking Chinese representative in Australia for seven years. Its it is believed the president also foretells Xi Jinping visit, and the promise of pandas was like a seal for the relaxation policy that started last year.

China has returned to the path of panda diplomacy even with the United States. It came from behind the tree at the beginning of the year.

The pandas had been smuggled back to China from San Diego in 2019 and from Memphis and Washington last year. The loan agreement for the last pandas from US zoos was ending in Atlanta at the end of this year.

Americans flocked to see their familiar pandas for the last time. Cognoscenti liked goodbye as a result The trade war between the United States and China, US support for China’s threatened Taiwan and, in general, the struggle for the status of the world’s most powerful country.

However, in February of this year, it was reported that of San Diego the zoo is getting pandas again, and the same was promised at the end of May of Washington to the zoo. It is the first time in more than 20 years that China is sending new pandas to the United States.

And now Australia too. Adelaide Zoo is phasing out its current pandas in November, but replacements promised on Sunday are due to arrive soon after.

All there is still no way out. Australian Prime Minister Albanese vowed to address the pain points, which are still numerous. They include China’s exploration of the waters and skies of the Pacific Ocean and the dual citizenship of China and Australia Yang Hengjun’s last February’s death sentence for espionage.

“I don’t know if security concerns will disappear overnight,” a researcher at the University of Sydney Minglu Chen said news agency AFP.

“But this visit has a symbolic meaning. It is a sign of good will and a way for China to show the world that it is still willing to cooperate with other countries.”