China's panda diplomacy with Korea challenged by angry Fu Bao fans
Giant panda Fu Bao eats bamboo at the Shenshuping Giant Panda Base in Wolong National Nature Reserve in China's southwestern Sichuan province, June 12. This was her first public appearance after two months of being off-display following her transfer to China. Joint Press Corps
It's been over three months since beloved Korea-born panda Fu Bao was sent to China, but her Korean fans still can't get enough of their favorite giant panda as they continue to worry about her well-being in her new home.
Born at Everland Theme Park in July 2020, Fu Bao became Korea’s first naturally bred panda as part of a loan agreement between Korea and China. During her four years here, the female panda won the hearts of tens of thousands of theme park visitors.
Since her departure for China in April, she has been residing at the Shenshuping Giant Panda Base in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwestern Sichuan province. Despite the long distance separating them, Fu Bao's Korean fans continue to keep her memory alive by sharing her latest photos on social media and in online communities.
However, concerns about the panda’s treatment in her new home have ignited a fresh wave of activism among these fans.
Since her return, rumors have surfaced that the 4-year-old panda has lost patches of fur from her back, which fans suspect could be due to stress or poor care in her new environment. Demanding better conditions and assurances about Fu Bao's well-being, the fans have launched extensive campaigns both online and offline in the past few months.
Fu Bao fans stage a performance near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, July 11, demanding the Chinese government improve the panda's breeding facility. The sign on the left reads, "Shenshuping (panda base), please plant giant trees," and the right one says, "Shenshuping panda base, please install safety fences." Newsis
These efforts include protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, placing ads in The New York Times newspaper and launching online petitions on international platforms like Change.org.
Some fans have also initiated hashtag campaigns on X, formerly known as Twitter, tagging international animal welfare organizations and Chinese authorities with slogans such as "Ensure Fu Bao's safety."
Naver community "Fu Bao Gujodae (Bao 119)," which translates to "Fu Bao's rescue team," is one of the major fan communities spearheading these efforts. Created in late May, it currently has over 4,000 members.
Speaking to The Korea Times, the manager of Fu Bao Gujodae, who wished to be identified only by her surname Jeong, shared the fans' primary concern: the lack of safety measures in the panda's outdoor enclosure.
“Due to the absence of a tall fence, Fu Bao's safety is constantly at risk. Recently, a chair fell into the enclosure, and photos were posted online of Fu Bao carrying it in her mouth. There was also an incident when she carried a dropped camera lens cap in her mouth,” Jeong said.
“Our concern is that if objects fall into the enclosure, she could get hurt, and if she accidentally eats any of these objects, it could lead to a major illness.”
Jeong also noted that, unlike the Everland facility, the Chinese facility lacks tall trees where Fu Bao can relax as she did in Korea.
Earlier this month, Jeong and several other fans sent a handwritten letter to the officials at the Shenshuping Giant Panda Base, pleading for better care for Fu Bao. They received no direct reply, except for statements from the Chinese government through media reports asserting that "Fu Bao is safe and in good health."
Jeong said members of her cafe plan to expand their campaign to scrutinize China’s "panda diplomacy." They are consulting with animal welfare activists and legal experts to develop strategies for raising their voices internationally, such as through global environmental forums.
“It sounds quite hypocritical that China signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but still keeps lending pandas — an endangered species — where they are locked up. As much as people deserve freedom, so do pandas,” she said.
A full-page ad printed in The New York Times' July 16th edition, paid by local internet community Bao Family Gallery on dcinside. Captured from dcinside
Strained Seoul-Beijing relations
The outrage among Koreans could impact China’s panda diplomacy and the already-delicate bilateral relationship between the two Asian neighbors, according to observers.
"Panda diplomacy has long been a key tool of soft power for China, contrasting with its more confrontational strategies like ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy. However, the panda loan program faces growing scrutiny among animal activists over the ethics of animal captivity and some critics have begun to point out the significant financial burden on hosting nations," said Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“The movement among Korean fans, if it escalates, could irritate Chinese authorities, particularly given the iconic status of pandas and their role in China’s soft power policies. China would prefer to avoid the Fu Bao controversy from escalating into political complications, especially given the current strain in relations with Korea,” Kang said.
In an article published on July 17, China's English-language mouthpiece Global Times described the Fu Bao fans' outcry as "an expression of dissatisfaction with China by some parties in Korea," but added that the "small group of people could not represent the majority on the two sides."
Quoting several local analysts, the article also claimed that panda cooperation should be based on bilateral goodwill, while refraining from politicizing the issue.
Visitors take photos in front of a 12-meter-tall statue of a giant panda named “Giant Bao" at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 7, 2023. The structure was named after Fu Bao. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
"If this happened before 2016, I don't think the Koreans or the Chinese would have made a big deal of it. Since the row over THAAD in 2016, the relationship has deteriorated, and now the overwhelming majority of Koreans view China very negatively. As a result, a minor issue could be enlarged by people on both sides to become a problem between the two countries," Zhu Zhiqun, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University, told The Korea Times.
Although Zhu did not foresee this escalating into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, he warned that the fans' "continued campaign to criticize China's handling of Fu Bao may be counterproductive, and may even dampen China's willingness to send another panda to Korea."
Recent proposals by several local metropolitan governments to bring new Chinese pandas to their cities have yet to yield visible progress, as they cannot come to fruition without China's consent.
Earlier this month, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed willingness to bring a giant panda to the capital during his meeting with Tian Xiangli, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Sichuan Provincial Committee.
However, following mixed reactions from Seoulites, with some people questioning the ethics of panda trade and captivity, the Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that no official steps have been taken to rent pandas.
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has also expressed interest in bringing a panda to his city following his trip to Sichuan in April. He mentioned that Daegu Grand Park, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2027, may be able to house one of the much-loved yet endangered mammals.
Fu Bao holds a toy made from bamboo at Everland's Panda World in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, March 3, the last day visitors were able to see the panda prior to her departure to China in April. Joint Press Corps
Vanessa Cai, a reporter with the South China Morning Post, contributed to this article. She is currently based in Seoul, reporting for both The Korea Times and the South China Morning Post via an exchange program.