China fights rumours of panda abuse at US zoo in sign of goodwill

China cracked down on rumours that a Washington zoo abused its pandas, as it seeks to steady ties with the US weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

Police in Sichuan accused two people of spreading false information that the bears, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, were mistreated at the National Zoo in Washington, according to an official statement on Dec 27. The man and woman also incited boycotts of international efforts to conserve the animals, the authorities alleged.

The law enforcement action contrasted with China’s jab at the US in 2023 over the health of a panda at the Memphis Zoo after images showed it looking emaciated.

Both countries denied there was any foul play, although Chinese diplomat Hua Chunying fanned anger by comparing the panda’s condition with a photo of the bear looking healthier back in Beijing.

At the time,

all pandas in the US including Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were being sent back to China

after ties sank to a new low over an alleged Chinese spy balloon. Their future presence in America was secured only after President Xi Jinping renewed “panda diplomacy” in November following a meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden. 

The crackdown on rumours about the US’ treatment of the Chinese national symbol is now similarly seen as a gesture of goodwill as Beijing braces itself for a turbulent second Trump presidency and struggles with an economic slowdown at home.

Police said the suspects profited from the rumours through live streaming, earning as much as 170,000 yuan (S$31,700), according to the Dec 27 statement. The crime began in June 2023 and the authorities began to investigate in March 2024 after receiving complaints.

“They must have done a thorough investigation over these nine months,” said one Chinese social media user, among several who are questioning the timing of the prosecution.

China has long

used its national animal to curry favour

, reward friends and punish adversaries. The ruling Communist Party of China first gave the US pandas after President Richard Nixon normalised relations in 1972, from when pandas have had a continuous presence in the National Zoo, barring a year-long gap after Hsing-Hsing’s death in late 1999.

The police action coincided with China’s broad range of efforts to mend ties with other countries, including by opening more sectors to foreign investment, wooing tourists with visa-free arrangements, and reversing a ban on seafood imports from Japan. 

The Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily last week called for public submissions showcasing US-China friendship, in a largely symbolic move showing Beijing’s intent to promote ties.

“The tide has changed. So should we still hate on the US?” one user asked on social networking site Weibo. BLOOMBERG