China promotes "panda diplomacy" as Japan enters panda-less period

BEIJING - Japan on Tuesday faced its first period without any giant pandas in over half a century with the departure of the last two from a Tokyo zoo, as China continues to use panda loans as a diplomatic tool in its relations with other countries.

Around 40 giant pandas are currently in about a dozen countries under lease agreements with China, according to Chinese media, as Beijing has increasingly offered the animals during high-level meetings to advanced bilateral ties.