Panda diplomacy between Japan and China is coming to an end due to rising tensions as the last few pandas in Japan are due to return to China next January.
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 friendly relations between both countries amid tensions over Taiwan.
The pandas were previously due to return in February, and Tokyo tried to get their stay extended, but failed. Now they will be returned earlier than the deadline.
Their parents, Shin Shin and her partner Ri Ri, stayed in Japan for 13 years from 2011 to 2024 before being returned due to old age and the need for specialized medical treatment.
Pandas have been part of Chinese diplomacy for a long time now. Under Panda Diplomacy, China often sends pandas to various countries as a friendly gesture; however, ownership is retained by China.
After the return of the last pair of pandas, Japan will be without the animal for the first time since the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1972.
The panda is considered an unofficial mascot in China.
