After humans now a panda has been denied US citizenship.
Bao Bao, a 3-year-old giant panda failed to become a US citizen and was sent to China on Wednesday, reports Chinese News Agency Xinhua.
Bao Bao was born and raised in the United States. The US citizenship policy for human does not apply on a panda only because of “panda diplomacy.”
What is panda diplomacy?
Panda diplomacy is a Chinese policy of giving a giant panda as a diplomatic loan to other countries. These pandas are considered as a loan because the cubs the pandas are giving birth to have to be sent back to China before they turn four.
Bao Bao was born on August 23, 2013, to mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Mei and Tian were loaned to the zoo as part of an agreement with the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association.About panda diplomacy
Before 1982, giant pandas were gifted to other countries by the Chinese government as a token of friendship and goodwill.
By 1982, 23 giant pandas were shipped abroad. Most of them died.
However, in 1982 the "give-away" policy ended because the number of the endangered pandas were decreasing. Instead, China started the "on-loan" policy.
