Hot Air Pandas

President Joe Biden attempted to relieve tension between the United States and China with a face-to-face meeting with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping during the summit of Indo-Pacific Leaders in San Francisco.

One issue that came up was pandas. Pandas were gifted to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in 1972 when a bilateral relationship was normalized between the two countries. After the National Zoo received pandas, other U.S. zoos received some too, like San Diego, Atlanta, and Memphis. But the U.S. never owned the pandas. They were on loan, including any panda offspring that occurred during their stay. China was paid between $500,000 to $1 million a year per panda, with bonuses for any cubs born here. As our relationship soured with China and panda leases expired, China started taking the pandas back.

The San Diego Zoo (where I saw the pandas and their newborn cub in 1999 or 2000) returned their pandas in 2019. Memphis returned their panda earlier this year. Washington sent theirs back last week. The only pandas left in the U.S., four, are in the Atlanta Zoo. But Xi has signaled he’s willing to send more pandas to our nation with San Diego being the most likely destination.

San Diego is considered the best zoo in the nation and one of, if not the best in the world, so pandas going back there makes sense. Although, I do wish the National Zoo would get some so it’d be easier for me to see them.

Xi said during a dinner, “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples.”

He also said, “I was told that many American people, especially children, were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas, and went to the zoo to see them off.” He added that he learned the San Diego Zoo and people in California “very much look forward to welcoming pandas back.”

But remember one of the issues that helped sour our relationship with China was their spying on us in a very bold manner. It was last February when we had to shoot down a spy balloon sent by China that flew over the United States from Alaska to South Carolina.

China had the nerve to spy on us with a method that wasn’t hidden. All we had to do was look up. China claimed it wasn’t a spy balloon and expressed anger that we wouldn’t return it to them with all the spy equipment attached to it. We later learned that it wasn’t the first time as China sent at least three other balloons to spy on us during the Trump administration (sic). We also learned that China also sent balloons to spy on at least 40 other nations.

I think we need to be careful of any pandas Xi sends to us because they might be spy pandas. Don’t be seduced by their cuddliness.

Music note: I listened to Them Crooked Vultures and Soundgarden.

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