China’s soft (and fluffy) power

Today, Explained

Vox

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Panda diplomacy couldn’t fix the US and China’s tense relationship. Perhaps a meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi can bring back that fuzzy feeling. Ian Johnson of the Council on Foreign Relations and Panda Nation author E. Elena Songster explain. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Serena Solin, engineered by Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I have lived in DC for a while and I feel like I just took them for granted.
0:06.0	I didn't come visit them enough and now that they're leaving I want to say goodbye to them.
0:10.0	China's president, she Jin Ping, recently recalled three Chinese diplomats from Washington, D.C.
0:16.6	It's a shame for us that they're going back.
0:20.0	They were not human.
0:21.2	These ambassadors, if they were, pained reaction of DC residents,
0:24.8	would be bizarre.
0:26.0	No, they were giant panda bears, and days ago
0:28.2	they took a FedEx plane called the Panda Express
0:31.2	back to China.
0:32.4	China first started gifting pandas to zoos around the world decades ago.
0:36.0	It was a demonstration of soft power.
0:38.0	And then in recent years it's begun loaning them for large fees.
0:42.0	But those loan agreements are coming to an end. it's begun loaning them for large fees.
0:42.7	But those loan agreements are coming to an end.
0:45.2	On Wednesday, President Biden will meet with President
0:47.9	She in San Francisco during an economic summit,
0:50.5	and we're told that pandas will not be on the agenda, but that's okay.
0:55.0	They're on hours.
0:56.5	It's today explained.
0:58.1	This podcast is brought to you by Meta Quest 3, the new mixed reality headset from Meta.
1:06.0	Expand your world in ways you never thought possible with the new Meta Quest 3.
	...

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