Japan: Hopes to Continue Renting Giant Pandas from China!

On January 26, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato commented on the return of giant pandas "Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei" to China on Tuesday, stating that the Japanese government hopes China can continue the tradition of renting giant pandas to other countries, which has lasted for many years.

Fumitoshi Sato pointed out: "Giant pandas have always helped the Japanese and Chinese people build relationships, and we hope this practice can continue." It is reported that on January 27 local time, a truck carrying the giant pandas "Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei" departed from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo heading to the airport to return to China.

"Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei" were born in 2021 at Ueno Zoo and are the children of giant pandas "Bili" and "Xian Nu," which are set to be returned to China in September 2024. Their sister "Xiangxiang" returned to China in February 2023.

According to previous agreements between China and Japan, the return deadline for "Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei" is February 2026. Previously, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Chinese side negotiated specific dates and decided to advance the return time by about a month.

Now, even the Chinese New Year flights to Japan have basically been canceled, yet they still have the audacity to rent giant pandas? Japan's face is indeed thick; I wonder if the relationship between both sides is currently at freezing point?