When China's Vice-President Wang Qishan attends Japanese Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in Tokyo later this month, what diplomatic gift will he bring that will be fit for the new monarch?
The panda, China's national treasure, has been used as a diplomatic gift for centuries. Panda diplomacy can be traced to the year 685 when Tang Dynasty Empress Wu Zetian gifted a pair to Japan's Emperor Tenmu. Chairman Mao Zedong marked then United States President Richard Nixon's landmark trip to China in 1972 with another pair.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
