Why pandas, orangutans are used as diplomatic tools
In a rare diplomatic gesture, China has sent two panda bears to the United States, where they will be housed in the Smithsonian National Zoo. The three-year-old pandas—a male named Bao Li and a female named Qing Bao—arrived at Virginia's Dulles International Airport on Tuesday. They are among the few black-and-white bears in the United States, which has sent the majority of the highly sought-after animals back to their home China in recent years under pre-arranged contracts.
Malaysia announces plan to gift orangutans to countries
Pandas aren't the only animals used as a tool of diplomacy and wildlife conservation. In May, Malaysia announced a plan to gift orangutans to countries importing its palm oil, a strategy it calls "orangutan diplomacy." The country is the world's second largest producer of palm oil, but global demand has been blamed for pushing deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia. Giving orangutans would "prove to the global community that Malaysia is committed to biodiversity conservation," plantations minister, Johari Abdul Ghani, said.
Historical roots and modern examples of animal diplomacy
Animal diplomacy isn't new. Cleopatra once gifted a giraffe to Julius Caesar, while the Caliph of Baghdad presented an elephant to Charlemagne. In modern times, China's "panda diplomacy" is the most famous. Since 1941, China has been gifting pandas as a diplomatic gesture and conservation effort. The pandas are loaned for 10 years and remain China's property, with recipient zoos paying around $1 million annually for a pair.
Malaysia's orangutan diplomacy targets major trading partners
China, in turn, uses the funds to fund panda conservation efforts, such as the construction of cutting-edge facilities and the establishment of protected areas. In recent times, panda loan arrangements have been linked to the Chinese concept of "guanxi," which, according to Oxford University, emphasizes trust, loyalty, and reciprocity in developing networks of influence. Australia, for example, got loaned pandas in 2009, while Canada and France got them in 2012.
Koalas, Komodo dragons, and elephants also used
According to Kathleen Buckingham and colleagues at Oxford University, the date appears to have coincided with lucrative uranium sales and contracts between China and these countries. Following the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, relations between China and Malaysia deteriorated. The arrival of two pandas in Malaysia the same year was interpreted as a peace offering. Other countries have also used animal diplomacy. Australia has gifted koalas, Indonesian Komodo dragons, and Thailand elephants.
