Date/Time
Date(s) - April 10, 2024
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Categories
Mr. Zhong Zhao, 2022 Yale University Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow and a 2023 visiting scholar at CSU, will present “Is ‘Panda Diplomacy’ and Biodiversity Conservation Still a Channel for US-China Cooperation in Global Environmental Governance?” as part of the National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUCR) 2024 Local China Town Hall.
The Department of Sociology at CSU has the privilege of serving as a local partner for this year’s China Town Hall, and Dr. KuoRay Mao will facilitate this local talk.
This event is part of CSU’s thematic YEAR of DEMOCRACY and will be held virtually on Zoom. Please contact Dr. Mao with questions.
When it comes to the diplomatic history between the United States and China, people might first think of “Ping Pong Diplomacy”. However, in reality, “Panda Diplomacy” and wildlife have also played an important role in the diplomacy between the two countries. Two giant pandas, Lingling and Xingxing, were gifted to the United States during President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972. Since then, they have resided in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The arrival of these adorable pandas not only satisfied people’s curiosity but also introduced Chinese wildlife to the American public. Over the next forty years, scientists, governments, and civil societies of both the United States and China engaged in various forms of cooperation in wildlife conservation and biodiversity, including technology transfer, personnel exchanges, and conservation funding.
In recent years, with the escalation of the US-China trade war and the rise of Chinese nationalism, pandas have become a tool for the Chinese government to attack the United States and incite public dissatisfaction towards America. Many short videos depicting alleged mistreatment of pandas rented to American zoos have surfaced on Chinese social media. These videos pass through China’s censorship firewall and receive official promotion from the Chinese government. Some Chinese citizens, influenced by misinformation, have even initiated campaigns to “bring the pandas home”.
On the international stage, China launched the “Belt and Road Initiative” a decade ago, significantly increasing overseas investments, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and mining sectors. While reaping profits from overseas investments, China also aims to enhance its global leadership, discourse power, and export its development model. In host countries, many wildlife species have become victims of China’s overseas investments and expansions. Some endangered wildlife face threats such as habitat loss, environmental pollution, and illegal trade due to China’s overseas investments. At the same time, China aspires to play a leading role in global biodiversity. For instance, in 2021-22, China chaired the COP 15 of Convention on Biological Diversity, and promoted the release of the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. Meanwhile, the United States’ actions regarding the impact of Chinese overseas investments on biodiversity remain very limited, and it has not even ratified the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Looking towards the future, we hope that biodiversity conservation can transcend language, culture, ethnicity, politics, and economic interests. Even in the current complex international situation and the context of US-China relations, effective and smooth cooperation and dialogue between the United States and China on biodiversity conservation can be maintained. For the sake of our shared Earth and the wildlife we coexist with, leadership from all countries can set aside barriers and continue to promote cooperation in the field of biodiversity.
The National Committee on United States-China Relations is distinguished as the foremost American, non-partisan public affairs organization committed exclusively to the development of constructive and sustainable relationships between the United States and Greater China. This Committee facilitates platforms for informed dialogue and deliberate debate on subjects of shared interest and concern among the United States, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Each year, the NCUCR partners with local entities to convene the CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a nuanced program that provides an analysis of the current dynamics of U.S.-China relations and assesses their implications at the local level. This initiative is designed to engage Americans across the nation with U.S. policymakers and eminent China experts.
This year’s NCUCR collaboration begins April 9 with the annual China Town Hall and features Dr. Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and local facilitator Dr. KuoRay Mao. Click here for details.