There’s hard power, soft power, and cuddly power, Panda power in other words. Before we get wooly-headed about pandas, their part in Chinese diplomacy has always had a hard edge.
Animals in diplomacy have had a long history.
While Pandas are widely considered cuddly, cute, and often goofy, their jobs are much more important than their laidback image would suggest.
Chomping on bamboo and lounging in their enclosures is just a facade for their real mission... being fuzzy ambassadors of the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing has been engaging in the so-called “Panda Diplomacy” for decades, with its popularity skyrocketing in the 1950s and forward.
China's gift of one of these cute bears is a symbol of goodwill, as pandas, an endangered species, symbolize conservation efforts. The gesture is meant to be a conduit for diplomatic dialogue and show Beijing's willingness to foster friendly relations.
Many activists and critics of Beijing argue that China’s tendency to send the friendliest and cutest animals on the planet to other countries is a way of diverting attention from matters the CCP deems “problematic”.
Join Jan Darasz and his guest Bruno Surdel, an analyst at the Center for International Relations for How We Got Here.
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