The last 2 pandas in Japan are leaving for China as ties are strained | National News

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese panda fans gathered Sunday for the final public viewing at Tokyo’s Ueno zoo before twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei return to China this week.

kAmr9:?2 7:CDE D6?E A2?52D E@ y2A2? 😕 `hfa[ 2 8:7E >62?E E@ >2C< E96 ?@C>2=:K2E:@? @7 5:A=@>2E:4 E:6D 36EH66? E96 EH@ H2CJ ?6:893@CD] %96 4F55=J 3=24<\2?5\H9:E6 362CD :>>65:2E6=J H@? y2A2?6D6 962CED[ 2?5 2 5@K6? DF446DD@CD 92G6 364@>6 ?2E:@?2= 46=63C:E:6D]k^Am

kAm%96 =2E6DE 56A2CE:?8 A2?52 EH:?D 92G6 2EEC24E65 >2DD:G6 4C@H5D 56DA:E6 2 @?6\>:?FE6 G:6H:?8 =:>:E A6C G:D:E@C 😕 E96 A2?52 K@?6 D6E 3J E96 K@@] ‘:D:E@CD[ >2?J @7 E96> 42CCJ:?8 A2?52\E96>65 E@JD[ 42== @FE E96 362CDV ?2>6D 2?5 FD6 D>2CEA9@?6D E@ 42AEFC6 E96> 2D E96J ?:33=6 32>3@@ 2?5 DEC@== 2C@F?5] |2?J @7 E9@D6 H9@ 4@F=5?VE 86E A2?52 G:6H:?8 E:4<6ED DE:== 42>6 E@ E96 K@@ 2?JH2J E@ >2C< E96 =2DE 52J]k^Am

kAm{@?8E:>6 A2?52 72? |:49:<@ $6<:[ 😕 2 A2?52\A2EE6C?65 3=24<\2?5\H9:E6 D9:CE[ D2:5 D96 H2D 92AAJ E@ D66 2?5 A9@E@8C2A9 E96 EH:?D =@@<:?8 962=E9J 2?5 62E:?8 H6==] $96 H2D FD:?8 E96 D2>6 42>6C2 D96 925 3@F89E H96? D96 DE2CE65 E2<:?8 A9@E@D @7 E96:C 6=56C D:DE6C ):2? ):2? E92E =67E y2A2? EH@ J62CD 28@]k^Am

kAm$6<: D2JD D96 5@6D?’E H2?E E@ D66 A2?52D DEF4< 😕 E96 5:A=@>2E:4 C@H] “%96J 2C6 E96 2?:>2=D E92E 42? AC@G:56 EC6>6?5@FD 4@>7@CE[” D96 D2:5] “y2A2? ?665D A2?52D[ 2?5 WxX 9@A6 A@=:E:4:2?D H:== H@C< D@>6E9:?8 @FE]”k^Am

kAmq6:;:?8 =6?5D A2?52D E@ @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 3FE >2:?E2:?D @H?6CD9:A[ :?4=F5:?8 @G6C 2?J 4F3D E96J AC@5F46] ):2@ ):2@ 2?5 9:D D:DE6C {6: {6: H6C6 3@C? 😕 E96 &6?@ K@@ 😕 a_a`]k^Am

kAmr9:?6D6 u@C6:8? |:?:DECJ DA@<6DA6CD@? vF@ y:22?J 😕 y2A2?[ 2?5 H6 H6=4@>6 y2A2?6D6 7C:6?5D E@ 4@>6 G:D:E E96> 😕 r9:?2]”k^Am

k9ams6G@E65 A2?52 72? E2<6D >:==:@?D @7 A9@E@Dk^9am

kAm(63 6?8:?66C %2<29:C@ %2<2F;:VD 52JD C6G@=G6 2C@F?5 A2?52D]k^Am

kAmxE DE2CE65 `d J62CD 28@ H96? 96 G:D:E65 E96 &6?@ +@@=@8:42= v2C56?D 2?5 76== 😕 =@G6 H:E9 E96 EH:? A2?52DV A2C6?ED[ $9:? $9:? 2?5 #: #:[ D@@? 27E6C E96:C 2CC:G2= 7C@> r9:?2]k^Am

kAm“%96:C D92A6 2?5 E96 H2J E96J >@G6 2C6 9@?6DE=J D@ 4FE6 2?5 7F??J[” 96 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 😕 2 C646?E :?E6CG:6H 2E 9:D 9@>6 ?62C %@6E:>6D E96J 2C6 323J\=:<6j 2E @E96C E:>6D E96J 24E =:<6 2? @=5 >2?]”k^Am

kAmp 52:=J K@@ G:D:E 92D D:?46 364@>6 6DD6?E:2=] w6 92D E2<6? >@C6 E92? `_ >:==:@? A9@E@D @7 E96 A2?52D[ 2?5 AF3=:D965 2 ?F>36C @7 A2?52 A9@E@ 3@@

kAm~? 2 C646?E 27E6C?@@?[ %2<2F;: H2D 2>@?8 E9@FD2?5D H9@ 6?E6C65 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 @?=:?6 3@@<:?8 DJDE6> E@ D66 E96 A2?52D @?6 =2DE E:>6]k^Am

kAmsFC:?8 E96 @?6\>:?FE6 G:6H:?8 D6DD:@?[ %2<2F;: 96=5 9:D 42>6C2 9:89 23@G6 E96 @E96C 72?D 2?5 E@@< 2D >2?J 2D d[___ DE:== D9@ED E@ 42AEFC6 6G6CJ >@E:@? @7 ):2@ ):2@ 2?5 {6: {6:]k^Am

kAmq24< 2E 9@>6[ 😕 2 C@@> 25@C?65 H:E9 5@K6?D @7 A2?52 >2D4@ED 2?5 @C?2>6?ED[ %2<2F;: 42C67F==J H6?E E9C@F89 9:D 7C6D9 A9@E@D 7C@> E96 52J 2?5 FA=@2565 E96> @? 9:D 3=@8[ “tG6CJ s2J !2?52D]”k^Am

kAmw2G:?8 D66? E96 EH:?D D:?46 3:CE9[ 96 4@?D:56CD E96> “;FDE =:<6 >J @H? 49:=5C6?]Qk^Am

kAm“x ?6G6C :>28:?65 E96C6 H@F=5 4@>6 2 52J H96? A2?52D H@F=5 36 8@?6 7C@> y2A2?[Q 96 D2JD]k^Am

k9am%:6D 2C6 DEC2:?65 36EH66? %@

kAmy2A2? 92D 72465 :?4C62D:?8 A@=:E:42=[ EC256 2?5 D64FC:EJ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^49:?2\;2A2?\5:DAFE6\EC256\5:A=@>2E:4\E2:H2?\c_3ee_c7__46e`dhg6_h7e3_2gbbbd5fQmE6?D:@?D H:E9 r9:?2k^2m[ H9:49 H2D 2?86C65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\49:?2\E2:H2?\6>6C86?4J\E2<2:49:\_4674a3c6c7`452`e2c4g3767_bb36a5Qm!C:>6 |:?:DE6C $2?26 %2<2:49:VD C646?E C6>2C@4C2E:4 :D=2?5 q6:;:?8 4=2:>D 2D :ED @H?[ 4@F=5 DA2C< y2A2?6D6 :?E6CG6?E:@?]k^Am

kAm%:6D 36EH66? y2A2? 2?5 r9:?2 92G6 366? 7C2F89E D:?46 E96 y2A2?6D6 288C6DD:@? 😕 E96 `hE9 46?EFCJ] %96C6 2C6 DE:== E6CC:E@C:2= 5:DAFE6D 😕 E96 t2DE r9:?2 $62 2D r9:?2VD C:D6 😀 244@>A2?:65 3J D64FC:EJ E9C62ED 2?5 :?4C62D:?8 64@?@>:4 :?7=F6?46 😕 E96 C68:@?]k^Am

kAmy2A2?VD E@A 8@G6C?>6?E DA@<6DA6CD@?[ |:?@CF z:92C2[ 24@H=65865 @? %9FCD52J E92E E96 y2A2?6D6 r@?DF=2E6 😕 r9@?8B:?8 92D 366? H:E9@FE 2 4@?DF= 7@C 2 >@?E9 3642FD6 r9:?2 92D 56=2J65 2AAC@G2= @7 2 C6A=246>6?E]k^Am

k9am!2?52D 92G6 =@?8 366? A2CE @7 r9:?6D6 5:A=@>24Jk^9am

kAmv:2?E A2?52D[ ?2E:G6 E@ D@FE9H6DE6C? r9:?2[ D6CG6 2D 2? F?@77:4:2= >2D4@E] q6:;:?8 =6?5D E96> E@ @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 2D 2 D:8? @7 8@@5H:== 2?5 2D A2CE @7 C6D62C49 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:@? AC@8C2>D]k^Am

kAm%96 7:CDE A2:C @7 A2?52D[ z2?8 z2?8 2?5 {2? {2?[ E92E r9:?2 8:7E65 E@ y2A2? 2CC:G65 😕 &6?@ @? ~4E] ag[ `hfa] xE H2D @?6 >@?E9 27E6C y2A2?VD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E2:H2?\49:?2\;2A2?\E@6 >:?:DE6C 2E E96 E:>6[ z2:6C +9@F t?=2: D:8?65 2 ;@:?E 4@>>F?:BF6 ?@C>2=:K:?8 E:6D 36EH66? E96 4@F?EC:6D] y2A2? ?@E65 :E “7F==J F?56CDE2?5D 2?5 C6DA64ED” r9:?2VD 4=2:> @? %2:H2? 2D “2? :?2=:6?23=6 A2CE” @7 :ED E6CC:E@CJ]k^Am

kAmr9:?2 2=D@ 8:7E65 E96 7:CDE 8:2?E A2?52D 2C@F?5 E92E E:>6 E@ @E96C (6DE6C? ?2E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ uC2?46[ qC:E2:? 2?5 v6C>2?J]k^Am

kAmr9:?2 DH:E4965 E@ =62D:?8 AC@8C2>D 😕 E96 `hg_D[ H:E9 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 @G6CD62D K@@D A2J:?8 2??F2= 766D 7@C 923:E2E 4@?D6CG2E:@? @C D4:6?E:7:4 C6D62C49 E@ 36?67:E E96 DA64:6D]k^Am

kAmy2A2? 92D D66? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^49:?2\8:2?E\A2?52D\5:A=@>24J\4@?D6CG2E:@?\6c7hg_62e_`7d6ec4gf3`572dgcfa`2hQmA2?52 5:A=@>24J EFC? A@=:E:42=k^2m] p A=2? E@ 3C:?8 2 A2?52 E@ y2A2?VD ?@CE96C? 4:EJ @7 $6?52: 27E6C E96 a_“ BF2<6 2?5 EDF?2>: 5:D2DE6C H2D D96=G65 😕 E96 H2<6 @7 2 a_`a E6CC:E@C:2= 5:DAFE6]k^Am

k9am!2?52D 2C6 36=@G65 😕 y2A2?k^9am

kAm!2?52 :>286D 2AA62C 😕 2?5 @FED:56 @7 E96 &6?@ K@@ @? 4@@<:6D 2?5 DH66ED[ DEF7765 5@==D[ DE2E:@?6CJ 2?5 A9@E@ 3@@6?E DE@C6 92D 2 D64E:@? 565:42E65 E@ A2?52 8@@5D]k^Am

kAm“!2?52D 2C6 2 DJ>3@= @7 &6?@[ 2 DE2C[” D2:5 pD2@ tKFC6[ >2?286C @7 2 D@FG6?:C D9@A] “(6 H@CCJ 9@H E96 A2?52DV 23D6?46 H:== 27764E FD]”k^Am

kAm$9@H:?8 2 42CE@@? @7 ):2@ ):2@ 2?5 {6: {6: @? 2 D9@A D:8?3@2C5[ tKFC6 D2JD 96 36=:6G6D E92E A2?52D H:== 4@>6 324<] Q$@ H6 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 492?86 E96 D:8?3@2C5]Qk^Am

kAm%96 23D6?46 @7 A2?52D 2E E96 K@@ H@F=5 42FD6 2? 2??F2= =@DD @7 23@FE a_ 3:==:@? J6? WS`ag >:==:@?X[ 244@C5:?8 E@ z2EDF9:C@ |:J2>@E@[ 2? 64@?@>:4D AC@76DD@C 2E z2?D2: &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am

kAm“x7 E96 D:EF2E:@? 4@?E:?F6D 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD[ E96 ?682E:G6 64@?@>:4 :>A24E @7 92G:?8 ?@ A2?52D 😀 6IA64E65 E@ C6249 E6?D @7 3:==:@?D @7 J6?[” |:J2>@E@ D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “u@C A2?52\=@G:?8 y2A2?6D6[ :?4=F5:?8 >JD6=7[ x 9@A6 E96J C6EFC? 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6]”k^Am