China is disseminating misinformation about the condition of its prized Panda bears in the United States, impacting ‘Panda Diplomacy’.
According to sources, Chinese social media has been saturated with content stoking anti-America sentiments in recent months, despite already icy relations between Washington and Beijing.
‘Panda diplomacy’ is being surpassed
According to an AFP story, experts have cautioned that “clout-chasing influencers” have magnified these anti-American attitudes. They claim that China’s “panda diplomacy” is being harmed as a result of this.
According to reports on Weibo and Douyin, Mei Xiang, a China-loaned panda, was abused at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC. A video fueled rumors that the adored panda was subjected to harsh artificial insemination dozens of times.
Such photos sparked heartfelt requests for her rescue, with the hashtag “Save Mei Xiang” gaining millions of views on Weibo, according to AFP.
Was Mei Xiang mistreated?
There is no evidence of this. According to an AFP fact check, the video reportedly showing Mei Xiang is from 2015, and it actually shows a different male panda receiving a health check-up in Singapore.
Another post allegedly “shows” Mei Xiang’s companion, Tian, sedated and held during an examination. However, according to the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), it is from 2005 and displays a panda being examined in China’s Fujian province.
“Amid increased competition between the US and China, the deterioration of US-China relations is now echoed in Chinese narratives,” DFRLab said.
“The narratives are deeply rooted in Chinese nationalism and mistrust of the West and have been amplified across Chinese media and social media,” it said.
Since 1972, giant pandas have been housed in American zoos. However, given the tense talks between the United States and China, many have been repatriated, with some reporting maltreatment.
Ya Ya, a Panda resident of the Memphis Zoo, was returned to China in May. The narrative following her “recall” was all about her escaping maltreatment and flourishing in China.
What exactly is panda diplomacy?
Panda diplomacy is China’s one-of-a-kind diplomatic instrument. From 1941 to 1984, Beijing gave pandas to other countries. However, after the status of pandas was changed to ‘endangered’ in 1984, it began leasing the creatures.
Any offspring born to the leased pandas become the property of the People’s Republic of China.