Opponents of panda diplomacy make a case for Thai elephants
For Thais who simply cannot resist those cute balls of black-and-white fur known as pandas, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s announcement on Monday that Thailand might have pandas under its care once again came as good news.
The country was earlier home to two giant pandas, a male named Chuang Chuang and a female, Lin Hui, as part of a diplomatic exchange between Thailand and China.
Srettha brought up the subject of pandas a couple of days ago, saying he had observed on X (formerly Twitter) which countries still have pandas. Thailand has no pandas and he doesn’t feel this reflects well on the good diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
He mentioned Thailand’s panda paucity during a meeting with Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, and apparently, Wang Yi expressed his support.
The giant panda is a symbol of China's diplomatic outreach. As one of the rarest and most endangered species in the world, China sent giant pandas to various countries' zoos as a gesture of goodwill and cultural exchange. This practice has been referred to as "panda diplomacy."
However, in 1984, China changed its approach. Instead of giving pandas as diplomatic gifts, China adopted a new strategy of lending pandas for 10 years, accompanied by an annual rental fee of 1 million US dollars per year. Additionally, any offspring born to the pandas during the loan period would be considered the property of China.
In 2001, during a visit by General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, then Deputy Prime Minister, to China, he negotiated with President Jiang Zemin to host pandas as a symbol of the close diplomatic relations between the two countries.
On October 12, 2003, China sent the first pair of giant pandas to Thailand. Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui were to be exhibited at the Chiang Mai Zoo as part of the Thai-Chinese goodwill ambassador programme for 10 years, with the possibility of extending the agreement upon completion of the initial term.
The arrival of this pair created a significant buzz and captured the attention of the Thai people. There was a grand welcoming ceremony for the two, who were housed in a specially designed 4-rai space featuring suitable accommodation and an exhibition area.
The presence of both pandas led to a phenomenon dubbed “Panda Fever”, with millions tuning into the around-the-clock live broadcasts of the pandas. As of August 2022, more than 7 million people had visited the panda exhibit.
In 2009, the panda story once again gained attention when it was announced that Lin Hui had been impregnated through artificial insemination using sperm from Chuang Chuang and an eruption of joy when on May 27 of that year, Lin Hui gave birth to a female panda cub. She was named Lin Ping.
However, according to the terms set by the Chinese authorities, young Lin Ping only remained in Thailand for approximately 4 years before being sent back to China on September 28, 2013. She is said to be doing well and has now become a mother herself.
The closing chapter of the tale of the two goodwill ambassador pandas took a sad turn when on the evening of September 16, 2019, Chuang Chuang, by now 19 years old, collapsed and died. Moments earlier, he had been recording sitting and eating bamboo.
The results of the autopsy conducted by a joint Thai-Chinese expert team revealed heart failure as the cause of death.
Lin Hui began showing signs of illness on April 18, 2023, before passing away at the age of 21, also from heart failure.
While there have been discussions on whether to request another pair of giant pandas, no decision has been taken.
Those discussions involve both supporters and detractors. One major point of contention revolves around the funds required for the care of the pandas.
The budgetary concerns regarding bringing giant pandas to Thailand have sparked a movement urging the Thai government to allocate resources towards the care of the country's symbol, the Thai elephant. This side argues that, considering the current challenges faced by many Thai elephants living both domestically and abroad, allocating funds for their well-being would be more appropriate.
There are also concerns among some members of the public that acquiring giant pandas could pose a risk of diplomatic tensions with China if anything were to happen to the pandas under Thailand's care.
