Tokyo
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Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.
Twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will leave Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo Tuesday after meeting their fans for the last time on the weekend.
They were born in the Japanese capital, but China retains ownership over them, under the rules of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy.” The government there treats pandas as national symbols and goodwill ambassadors, loaning them to countries with which they wish to strengthen ties.
The duo’s departure leaves Japan without any pandas for…