Panda diplomacy: A history of China’s cutest diplomats скачать в хорошем качестве

Panda diplomacy: A history of China’s cutest diplomats

China is the only place in the world where pandas are native. As far back as the Tang Dynasty, China was giving pandas to other countries as gifts, and this later came to be known as panda diplomacy. Today in part one of this Sunday special report, we look back at the history of China''s cutest diplomats and how they shaped international relations in the 20th century. With their round lovable faces, bulging tummies and their way of waddling about as they walk, pandas are instantly recognizable. Then there’s the patches around their eyes, their black ears, shoulders and limbs, matched with white fur everywhere else. Pei Chia-chi Animal researcher Their history on the planet is already very long, and in the past they were spread over a vast area – they were all over Asia. By the time modern-day scientists discovered them, they were already confined to a small area. They were only found in one part of China. Legend has it that the Tang Dynasty Empress Wu Zetian once had a pair of live white bears and 70 bear pelts presented as a gift to Japanese Emperor Tenmu. Yeh Chieh-sheng Taipei Zoo former zookeeper Back in the Tang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian – this was some time after she came into power, and she had these things – sent a pair of animals to Japan. So if we go by the historical records, the earliest country outside China to get pandas was Japan. Pandas are native to an area in China. In the 19th century, Western scientists first learned about them when French missionary Armand David, who was proselytizing in Sichuan Province’s Muping Township, bought a dead panda cub from a local hunter, and sent it home as a specimen to tell the world about the animal’s existence. Pei Chia-chi Animal researcher It is undoubtedly cute, and it appears very helpless, even appearing very weak. It’s not hard for people to become enamored with it, and as you see, worldwide there aren’t many types of bears this large comprised of two colors like this. So it’s very easy for people to quickly fall in love with it. In 1936, American fashion designer Ruth Elizabeth Harkness led a 19-member expedition deep into central Sichuan, where in a forest 2,000 meters above sea level, they captured a 1.3 kilogram panda cub. They named it Su-lin. Yeh Chieh-sheng Taipei Zoo former zookeeper They took the panda, dressed it up to look like a dog, gave it a dog’s name and then smuggled it into the U.S. When they first put it on display, it attracted the masses from all over. Everybody clamored to catch a glimpse of the panda. Given human characteristics and portrayed as members of a family, pandas were brought to big screen in cartoon form, and then in comic form in newspapers. It’s not hard to see how much Americans love pandas. Not surprisingly, pandas went on to take up a role in diplomacy. During World War II, and after February 1941, American magazine Time’s founder Henry Luce founded the United China Relief to seek public donations for the Chinese war effort. His fund also collected medical supplies and other commodities, which it sent to China. During the war, Chiang Kai-shek’s wife Soong Mei-ling was responsible for assisting wartime refugees. She appealed for international support on numerous occasions. Soong Mei-ling (December 1937) ROC first lady If you wish to avoid the calamities that are befalling China now, and the killing and the mutilation of your loved ones and your fellow [human] beings, boycott Japanese goods until the Japanese have left our soil. In May 1941, Soong Mei-ling and her older sister Soong Ai-ling worked together to send a pair of giant pandas to the U.S. as a thank-you for its assistance in the war. A grand handover ceremony was held at the Chongqing International Broadcasting Building, where China National Radio and China Radio International, as well as the U.S.’ Columbia Broadcasting System, broadcast the proceedings live. Shao Ming-huang National Chengchi University In local time it was Nov. 9, roughly 5 or 6 in the morning. For the U.S. it was in the afternoon – the afternoon on the 8th. That time slot was the weekend, so for them it was radio primetime. They wanted to take advantage of primetime to hold the handover ceremony in Chongqing. Prior to that, pandas were given away through all sorts of channels – unofficial channels. This was the first time the government gave permission for pandas to be presented in the name of the government. So we like to say that this was the start of panda diplomacy. During the Christmas holiday, two pandas arrived at New York’s Brooklyn Zoo. As goodwill ambassadors of the U.S.-China relationship, they received much attention. Children all over the U.S. voted on the pandas’ names, which came to be called Pan Dee and Pan D