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Japan Balks at $1M Panda Price Tag

Tokyo may reject Chinese offer

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted May 9, 2008 9:40 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Hu Jintao is making the first visit to Japan by a Chinese president in 10 years, and he's looking to solidify the newly amicable relationship with an offering of two giant pandas. But the rare animals aren't a gift, exactly: they're a loan, and they come at a yearly cost of $1 million apiece. The high price has forced the panda-loving Japanese to rethink the offer, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Last week saw an outpouring of grief following the death of Ling Ling, the 22-year-old panda at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. But China's offer has struck a sour note; one Japanese newspaper blasted the system of "panda rental." The terms aren't unusual: in 2000, Washington National Zoo signed a $10 million deal to host two pandas for 10 years, returning all offspring to China once they reach the age of 2.

Ling Ling sits in the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. Japan's oldest giant panda, a longtime star at a Tokyo zoo and a symbol of friendship with China, has died of illness, zoo keepers said Wednesday. Ling Ling was 22 years old.
Ling Ling sits in the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. Japan's oldest giant panda, a longtime star at a Tokyo zoo and a symbol of friendship with China, has died of illness, zoo keepers said Wednesday....   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
Chinese President Hu Jintao listens to explanations on recycling procedures at JFE Group Recycle Kawasaki Plant in Kawasaki, near Tokyo Friday, May 9, 2008.
Chinese President Hu Jintao listens to explanations on recycling procedures at JFE Group Recycle Kawasaki Plant in Kawasaki, near Tokyo Friday, May 9, 2008.   (AP Photo/Junko Kimura, POOL)
Chinese President Hu Jintao, 2nd left, shakes hands with Japanese Emperor Akihito when the emperor pays a farewell call at a hotel in Tokyo Friday, May 9, 2008.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, 2nd left, shakes hands with Japanese Emperor Akihito when the emperor pays a farewell call at a hotel in Tokyo Friday, May 9, 2008.   (AP Photo/Toru Yamanaka, POOL)
Three of eight pandas chosen for an Olympic exhibition tour to Beijing play at the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong, China, Tuesday, April 1, 2008.
Three of eight pandas chosen for an Olympic exhibition tour to Beijing play at the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong, China, Tuesday, April 1, 2008.   (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
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