Beijing: Japan may have to be without its much-loved pandas for the first time since 1972 as the two fluffy bears could be sent back to China due to the aggravation of political relations between the two countries amid furore over statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan.
The twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, who are a huge draw at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, may have to leave Japan by next month if China declines to renew the bilateral agreement.
The last day of their public viewing at Ueno Zoological Gardens, where they have lived since birth in 2021, will be January 25.
While the deadline of the lease agreement for the pair’s return to China in February is fast approaching, China on Monday parried questions about extending the agreement in the current climate of volatile bilateral ties.
“It is recommended that you refer the matter to the competent Chinese authorities for inquiry,” was the curt answer by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, to a question from the Japanese media.
China was livid over Takaichi’s remarks in parliament on November 7 that a Taiwan contingency could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan that may lead to action from the country’s defence forces in support of the United States.