Amidst rising political tensions between China and Japan, the fate of pandas in the capital Tokyo has come into question.
Modern.az reports that the last two pandas in Japan may be returned to China. The "Kyodo" agency disseminated information regarding this.
Indeed, relations between Beijing and Tokyo have further strained following Prime Minister Sanao Takaiti's statements regarding Taiwan.
Currently, two giant pandas named Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei reside in a zoo in Tokyo. However, their lease agreement expires in February 2026. They are the only remaining pandas in Japan. After the term ends, they are planned to be returned to China.
Zoo staff and visitors are expressing concern amidst growing political tensions, fearing that the pandas may leave the country. Yukinori Ekomi, head of the Japan-China Friendship Association, stated that pandas are a symbol of peace and friendship between the two countries. He expressed hope that relations would not further deteriorate and that animal exchange would not be harmed.
Tensions have escalated following Prime Minister Sanao Takaiti's recent statement. He had indicated that the crisis around Taiwan could pose an “existential threat” to Tokyo and that Japan might be compelled to exercise its right to collective self-defense. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in turn, assessed this as “gross interference in the country's internal affairs.”
Amidst the exacerbation of relations, China has halted the screening of several Japanese films and urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan.
