Animal gifts smooth diplomatic relations

G20 leaders in Brisbane have engaged in so-called koala diplomacy, cuddling the typically Australian creatures, but over the years, various animals have played a role in diplomatic occasioins involving China.

1 Giant pandas

As one of China's national emblems, giant pandas are the most widely used animal in its diplomatic activities. Panda diplomacy got started in the late 1950s when China sent two pandas to the Moscow Zoo as a symbol of the close ties between China and the Soviet Union. Two months after US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in February 1972, giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling were sent to Washington as gifts.