Lending pandas to foreign zoos is a useful soft power tool for Beijing, but tense international relations are clouding the practice.
China’s cutest cultural ambassadors are heading back. Three pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji — left for China on November 8, saying goodbye to their former home at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC. Their departure, along with those at other American zoos, looks set to leave the U.S. panda-free for the first time since rapprochement with China began in 1972, unless warming ties between the two countries continue.
This week, The Wire looks at China’s history o
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Chinese companies have decided that the best place to make money right now is outside of China. The phenomenon known as chu hai (出海), which translates to “go global,” has taken hold, marking a kind of second 'go out' initiative. This time, however, Chinese companies are being met with scrutiny and suspicion.
The former Commerce Secretary and ambassador to China talks about how his background shaped his approach to dealing with Beijing, the pivot to Asia and negotiating Chen Guangcheng's release.
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