Best of 2023: How giant pandas became China’s furry diplomats

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

The giant panda has become one of China’s diplomatic tools, after a pair were gifted to President Nixon as an act of friendship in the 1970s. But with US-China relations deteriorating - what can pandas tell us about the two superpowers’ modern relationship?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Didi Tang, Beijing Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: The National Archives, CNN, France 24, CCTV, NBC News, Richard Nixon Foundation, Action News 5, TikTok/@care2petitions, pandavoices.org.

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