Japan’s last two pandas, Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, have been transported from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo back to China, ending a 50‑year panda‑diplomacy program that had symbolised friendly ties between Beijing and Tokyo. The departure follows a diplomatic row that began when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked, a statement that angered Beijing. The pandas, loaned to Japan under a bilateral agreement, were scheduled to return a month before their loan period expired. Hundreds of visitors gathered in the zoo’s viewing area to say goodbye, while a poll by the Asahi Shimbun showed 70% of respondents opposed Japan negotiating a new panda loan. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun welcomed the return and urged the Japanese public to visit pandas in China. The event marks the first time Japan has no pandas on display since the program began in 1972.

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