Giant panda diplomacy continues with new couple in SA

A new pair of giant pandas will make their way to Adelaide, marking the next panda diplomacy step between Australia and China. A male, Xing Qiu, and female, Yi Lan, will travel from China to settle into Bamboo Forest at Adelaide Zoo later this year, replacing beloved couple Wang Wang and Fu Ni, who have lived there for 15 years. Their residence has been part of an international breeding program that helped drive up attendance at the zoo but they have not produced offspring during their time in Australia. The swap is the next stage of the agreement between the South Australian government and China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration to promote conservation. Zoos SA Chief Executive, Elaine Bensted said on Saturday it was an honour to be trusted with the pair and that much consideration was put into deciding which bears would be best suited to the move. "They are both young pandas and were chosen with not only their ability to adapt to the Adelaide environment in mind but also their suitability as a breeding pair when they are older." China's Premier Li Qiang announced the return of Wang Wang and Fu Ni to China in June at Adelaide Zoo during his visit to Australia. The news was one of the first policies introduced by the premier, with the media tagging it as an example of panda diplomacy. It's a term that dates back to the 1950s when Chairman Mao Zedong gave pandas to allies to strengthen ideological ties and foster diplomatic goodwill. Premier Li's visit was the first by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven turbulent years for the trading partners, amid restrictions, tender bans and recent military flare-ups in international waters. While the announcement brought excitement that giant pandas would continue to live in SA, protesters at the time said panda diplomacy shrouded the black and white of a troubling human rights record. Ted Hui, an Australian lawyer from Hong Kong, said at the time the impending swap shouldn't distract from China's human rights record. "While pandas are undeniably adorable and a symbol of wildlife conservation, we cannot let their presence distract us from the serious issues at hand," he noted.