Japan’s last two giant pandas are headed to China and fans just cannot bear it

China, in what has been called panda diplomacy, has a history of loaning out pandas to reward its allies. - Photo: Reuters

TOKYO: A day after news broke that Japan would soon lose its last two giant pandas to China, thousands of fans flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Tuesday (Dec 16) to catch a final glimpse, with many bidding the twins a tearful ‍farewell.

The ​announcement that four-year-old Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei would head to China at ‍the end of January – ahead of a Feb 20 deadline – was national news on Dec 15, disappointing a nation that has long had a love affair ​with pandas.