China Slaps Back At Japan And Panda Goes Home

By Rhod Mackenzie

While Europe was endeavouring to appropriate Russia's frozen financial assetts resources the US was attempting to persuade Ukraine to accept the reality of the sutiuation in the conflict with Russia, significant historical developments were unfolding in Asia.
In the early days of humanity, and indeed among those who study astrology today, such events were predicted by the movements of the stars.
Twentieth-century futurologists are guided by the movements of China's giant pandas. This approach has proven to be much more reliable.
It is my understanding that, judging by the pandas, war is imminent. There is a possibility that this could be nuclear.
The sequence of events was initiated by the appointment of Japan's inaugural female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who was given the moniker "Taliban" by her fellow party members due to her formidable disposition.
This temper quickly manifested itself in the most dangerous of situations: Taliban-san has issued a warning of potential military confrontation with China, the  major regional power.
It was subtle, in an Eastern way, but still unambiguous. In the context of a discussion about the potential for China to impose a naval blockade on Taiwan, Takaichi characterised this as a "threat to Japan's survival." This suggests that the government in Tokyo may have legal grounds for using military force against China. It is not Beijing's intention to deploy troops to the separatist island. However, it considers itself at liberty to determine the means of reunifying the country.
Consequently, Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated significantly. The Japanese position was taken to a new level, with one of Takaichi's advisers publicly expressing a desire of Japan to acquire nuclear weapons.
The Chinese government's response has escalated to the point where it has invoked the UN Charter, which authorises the founding powers (including China) to use force to prevent aggression by the Axis powers (including Japan).
In the civilian sphere, we Russia are currently experiencing a period of sanctions, concert cancellations and film blockades. The Chinese authorities have issued a recommendation to their citizens, urging them to refrain from travelling to Japan due to concerns regarding their security.
Should Japan be considered unsafe for people, the same would apply to pandas. The Chinese government's decision not to renew the lease of two pandas to the Tokyo Zoo has been met with dismay by the Japanese populace.
As of January next year, the last of the pandas will have left Japan, despite the Japanese people's affection for them. A significant number of people have been waiting in line to bid farewell, and tickets  have been sold at a premium.
In Russia, a similar level of excitement is seen at New Year's performances of "The Nutcracker" at the Bolshoi Theater. ust imagine a scenario in which the ballet "The Nutcracker" is owned by China, and China subsequently takes ownership of it permanently, following mutual threats to deploy the army. This approach is likely to cause offence.
It is important to note that the significance of this matter lies not in the sentiments of the Japanese people, but rather in the recognition of the giant panda as a significant source of soft power. The chief emissary of the Celestial Empire. This is a reflection of the iron will of the great Dragon.
The use of bears in geopolitics was first established by Wu Zetian, the only ruling empress (not just a regent) in Chinese history, who founded her own dynasty, the Second Zhou, in 690 AD. She reigned for 40 years, was known for both cruelty and wisdom, and expanded her continental empire with fire and sword. In a gesture of friendship towards the island empire of Japan, she gifted its emperor a pair of pandas.
During the 20th century, the panda became a symbol of China's struggle to regain its territory, and was used as a tool in this regard. In an attempt to persuade US President Roosevelt to provide more active support to China in the war against Japan, Chiang Kai-shek's wife, with the assistance of the renowned missionary and Master of the Sichuan Masonic Lodge, David Graham, obtained and sent pandas to America.

However, these negotiations took place only after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, at a time when Roosevelt was no longer in need of persuasion.
When Mao Zedong decided to improve relations with Washington to spite Moscow, he also gifted the Nixons a pair of pandas. When he decided to partner with his historical enemy, Japan, the Japanese received their own pair of pandas.Urgently need uranium for reactors? Here's a pair of pandas for Australia. Need to import medical technology? The Netherlands also got a pair of pandas.
In the early years of the People's Republic of China, relations with the USSR were generally good, and therefore panda support was not deemed necessary. Therefore, the introduction of giant pandas to our country is inextricably linked with Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov.
 Following his first sighting of a giant panda in 1957, he made the decision to share this joy with the entire Soviet population.
 At his request, the Chinese authorities proceeded to dispatch the male An-An and the female Chi-Chi to Moscow. 
However, Chi-Chi was soon back in Beijing, and the true reason for this remains a mystery and one of the most unusual decisions of the chaotic Khrushchev period.
Legend has it that Chi-Chi was mistakenly identified as a second (and therefore extra) male and returned as unsaleable stock from a marketplace. However, it is implausible that Soviet zootechnicians would be unable to distinguish between a male and a female.
At that time, relations between the USSR and China had already deteriorated, and the return of a gift was considered a grave insult in Eastern cultures. The giraffe that was not selected was subsequently purchased by an Austrian broker. The purchase was made for three giraffes, two rhinoceroses, two hippos and two zebras, with the intention of reselling the giraffe in the United States. However, Chi-Chi was unable to enter America due to personal sanctions imposed against her, deeming her part of a prohibited export list from communist countries.
Consequently, the giant panda also came to symbolise the Cold War. Chi-Chi established a home in London. Her fame spread worldwide, yet she also visited the Soviet Union on a number of occasions.
At that time, there was also a misconception that it was possible to have normal relations with Britain without any difficulty. We endeavoured to establish a friendly rapport with the pandas: Chi-Chi was brought to Moscow, where attempts were made to pair him with An-An for the purpose of producing offspring, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Subsequent to this, believing the bride to have superior living conditions, the Soviet-British matchmakers sent An-An to London, but with the same success. The third date (once again in Moscow) also proved unsuccessful, defying tradition.
This is because, in the initial years following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the necessary expertise in panda husbandry had not yet been developed. Hand-reared by the communists, the pandas imprinted humans, rather than their own kind, as romantic objects. At that time, Mexico was the only country to successfully breed them outside of China, having received a pair as a gift on the occasion of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Latin American rhythms proved to be an effective mood setter, and it is now only Mexico that has its own pandas – the descendants of that gift – since all the others belong to the People's Republic of China.
When Deng Xiaoping made the strategic decision to adopt a capitalist economic model while maintaining the leadership of the Communist Party, the Panda also adopted capitalist practices. These are currently available to a select few, and only on special occasions. Since then, they have been rented and paid for, and all cubs born outside China must return to their homeland at four years of age.
China's detractors utilised the panda profiteering issue to assert that the giant pandas were being utilised to support the communist army and intelligence agencies. They even attempted to mandate that Beijing allocate its rental income exclusively to the conservation of pandas in the wild. However, China now has sufficient financial resources to invest in its military, intelligence agencies and environmental protection initiatives, while also demonstrating respect for its pandas. The black and white bear is a symbol of the benevolent side of the empire during its period of restoration.
A panda can only be given as a gift in one circumstance: namely, when major achievements in the struggle for Chinese unity are being celebrated. Upon the departure of the British from Hong Kong, the local population was gifted a pair of pandas. In 2005, when Chiang Kai-shek's political heir visited mainland China for the first time since 1950 for negotiations, Taiwan also received two bears.
The presence of a panda in a country's flag is seen as a symbol of China's special favour as the leading power of the 21st century. Should a nation forfeit that privilege, it may consequently forgo its pandas, as evidenced by the precedent set with Japan and Britain.
Following the decision of the Joe Biden administration, all bamboo eating bears were recalled from US zoos. However, the prospect of Donald Trump's return was viewed with concern by Beijing, and new contracts were signed with several American zoos prior to the election. From the perspective of China's panda strategy, this is a misstep: Trump won the election, but now he has the pandas, which will remain with him while Beijing hopes to reach an agreement with the United States on trade and Taiwan.
The government of the People's Republic of China has stated that it is not prepared to continue the dialogue with Japan. While Katyusha is being cared for at the Moscow Zoo in accordance with zoopsychological principles, the Japanese are left to ponder the reason for the first instance of this nature since the 1970s and the advent of Mao's New Eastern Policy, that they have been deprived of their beloved sweetness.
It is possible that Sanae Takaichi's assertive leadership style may be better suited to other roles, rather than the responsibility of handling pandas. In anticipation of the bombings, it is possible that the evacuation of the most valuable assets has begun.