Panda diplomacy

There is not hardly any snow left, only some footpaths in forests are covered with ice. The colour of ice covers on lakes is changing from white to blue. Ice is still quite thick but not safe.
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been in Helsinki today to meet Finnish leaders, on his way to a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida. This is China's second state visit to Finland, previous visit was in 1995. But why I am writing about this is pandas! It was agreed today that China is to lend Finland two giant pandas, who will be hosted at an animal park Ähtäri zoo in south Ostrobothnia. The pandas are set to arrive at the end of this year. The Finnish climate is similar to that in the pandas' habitat in the Qionglai mountains, where snow is not unknown.

Dr Kathleen Buckingham from Oxford University, UK, says that sharing the care of such a precious animal strengthens the bonds that China has with its "inner circle" of countries. "In many ways China is testing the global technological capacity through panda loans. The panda can be used to seal the deal and signify a bid for a long and prosperous relationship. If a panda is given to the country, it does not signify the closing of a deal - they have entrusted an endangered, precious animal to the country; it signifies in some ways a new start to the relationship."



+7°C, cloudy day, sunny evening