Context:
An article in Hindu| What is China’s panda diplomacy?
Panda Diplomacy:
- Gifting or giving as loans the endemic pandas as a symbol of friendship or soft policy to other countries by Chinese government
- For loaning Pandas – signed agreement by China Wildlife Conservation Authority with San Diego and Madrid.
- For the same loans, zoos in Washington D.C. and Vienna, Austria are also in talks
- Essentially picked up in the mid-to-late 20th century, however it existed as early as during the Tang Dynasty that ruled between 7th and 10th century
- China’s gifts and loan of panda –
- Has gifted pandas to countries like the U.S., the U.K., France, and Japan, and 1972 is often believed to be the start of modern panda diplomacy
- Stopped gifting pandas in early 1980s, and instead started loaning them at a fee of around $1 million per year
- Significanceof diplomacy–
- It shows pandas as envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples
- Panda deals with Canada, France, and Australia coincided with these countries’ uranium deals and contracts with China.
Giant Pandas:
- Rarest member of the bear family
- Features – Distinctive black and white coat (adored by the world)
- Considered as a national treasure in China
- A special significance for WWF because it has been our logo since our founding in 1961
- Habitat – Temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China
- Diet –Feeds entirely on bamboo
- Conservation status –
- IUCN – Vulnerable
- Significance –
- They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs
- These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk
- Threats – Hunting and Habitat loss
Opposable thumbs – A thumb that can move freely and independently in a rotary motion, swinging around its axis to face the lower surface of the finger tips.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels:
1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
2. They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
3. They are omnivorous.
How many of the above statements are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
Answer: (a)
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (c)
