Some countries accuse China of profiteering off of panda loans
October 01, 2007 Filed in: Pandas
At the Wolong Giant
Panda Reserve, a baby boom is in full swing. Panda
"kindergarten," which is where the 1-year olds hang
out, is at capacity. And healthy newborns are
arriving in the nursery almost weekly. But now, China
is guarding its precious national treasures like
never before.
For more than a thousand years, the Chinese have given giant pandas away as a gesture of goodwill. Beijing even sealed the new Chinese-American relationship in 1972 with President Nixon, presenting the gift of Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling. Today, the director at Wolong says the custom is over. "We only lend pandas for the purpose of breeding and biological research with foreign countries," he says.
These guys aren't just pawns in a political game anymore, they're cash cows. They can fetch up to a million dollars a year if lent out to an American zoo. And if they give birth while they're overseas, as in the case of Bai Yun who had a cub this month at the San Diego Zoo, China charges extra. While some have accused Beijing of profiteering, the director insists the money goes to panda preservation. Twenty years ago, there were only 13 nature reserves in China, now there are 59. And, while still endangered, the number of pandas in the wild is back up to what it was in the 1970s.
Though no longer official ambassadors, the pandas haven't lost their symbolism. When U.S. Envoy Robert Zoellick hugged a panda during his visit to China last year, it was interpreted as a desire for more engagement with Beijing. On the flip side, Taiwan's refusal to accept pandas signifies its estrangement from mainland China.
Either way, the pandas don't seem to mind. They're happy remaining completely oblivious to their role in history.
Story by ABC News
1:05 P.M. MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
For more than a thousand years, the Chinese have given giant pandas away as a gesture of goodwill. Beijing even sealed the new Chinese-American relationship in 1972 with President Nixon, presenting the gift of Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling. Today, the director at Wolong says the custom is over. "We only lend pandas for the purpose of breeding and biological research with foreign countries," he says.
These guys aren't just pawns in a political game anymore, they're cash cows. They can fetch up to a million dollars a year if lent out to an American zoo. And if they give birth while they're overseas, as in the case of Bai Yun who had a cub this month at the San Diego Zoo, China charges extra. While some have accused Beijing of profiteering, the director insists the money goes to panda preservation. Twenty years ago, there were only 13 nature reserves in China, now there are 59. And, while still endangered, the number of pandas in the wild is back up to what it was in the 1970s.
Though no longer official ambassadors, the pandas haven't lost their symbolism. When U.S. Envoy Robert Zoellick hugged a panda during his visit to China last year, it was interpreted as a desire for more engagement with Beijing. On the flip side, Taiwan's refusal to accept pandas signifies its estrangement from mainland China.
Either way, the pandas don't seem to mind. They're happy remaining completely oblivious to their role in history.
Story by ABC News
1:05 P.M. MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
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