New Panda Ambassadors in Vienna: Chinas “Fluffy Diplomats” Renew Friendship with Austria
The two giant pandas “Lan Yun” and “He Feng” were officially welcomed to Schönbrunn Zoo with much media attention and political prominence. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker, and Li Hongzhong, Vice President of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, participated in the ceremony - a strong diplomatic signal in a globally complex time.
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker and the Vice President of the National People's Congress of China, Li Hongzhong, attended the ceremony in the Imperial Pavilion (from left to right). / Picture: © Österreichische Präsidentschaftskanzlei / Peter Lechner/HBF
The two pandas, whose names poetically translate to “grace of an orchid” and “breath of lotus”, were born in 2020 at the renowned Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in China. After arriving in Vienna on April 23, 2025, they initially spent a prescribed quarantine period. Since 14 May, they have been on display to the public in the Tiergarten's modernized panda enclosure - and are already attracting a great deal of interest.
As usual, the animals live in separate enclosures, as pandas are solitary animals. With the new start of this panda enclosure, the zoo is continuing a long-standing partnership with China: the zoo has been cooperating with the China Wildlife Conservation Association since 2003. This cooperation was extended for a further ten years last year.
Symbolic animal with a system: the history of panda diplomacy
The allocation of pandas to foreign zoos is not a random or purely zoological act - it is a carefully orchestrated means of Chinese foreign policy. Since the 1950s - and increasingly since the Cold War era - Beijing has been using the iconic black and white bears to cultivate its image, for political rapprochement and as cultural bridge-builders. The term panda diplomacy has long since entered the language of international politics.
Probably the most famous example dates back to 1972, when US President Richard Nixon received a pair of pandas as a gift during his historic visit to China - a highly symbolic step in the rapprochement between two global superpowers. Since 1984, China no longer makes pandas available permanently, but lends them out under strictly regulated research and species protection contracts. These contracts are limited in time, and the animals remain Chinese state property, as do their offspring.
Diplomatic crises can also have zoological consequences: China recently threatened to order the pandas back from the USA following a dispute over alleged spy balloons - a decision that was only reversed after a meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.
Austria's panda story: a success story with a sequel
Austria can also look back on a successful history with the Chinese loans. The pandas “Yang Yang” and “Long Hui”, which came to Vienna in 2003, became crowd favorites. Between 2007 and 2016, the pair gave birth to a total of five cubs - a unique success in Europe, as the animals were conceived naturally.
The new pandas “Lan Yun” and “He Feng” are now continuing this tradition - not only as biological beacons of hope, but also as a symbol of a stable, albeit differentiated, relationship with China. “These likeable bridge builders are a joy for all visitors - and a sign of China's trust in Austria,” said Federal President Van der Bellen at the ceremony in the Imperial Pavilion.
Soft power in fur: costs, contracts, and strategic considerations
What at first glance appears to be a zoological attraction is also highly relevant in economic and political terms. The rental fees for pandas worldwide average around one million U.S. dollars a year, although specific contract details are not public in Vienna. One thing is clear: the architectural redesign of the panda enclosure was also a condition for the new contract.
Despite the high costs, the deal is a strategic win for Austria. The pandas are a reliable visitor magnet - Schönbrunn Zoo attracts around two million visitors a year, and the black-and-white bears are regarded as media figureheads. There is also great economic interest: the so-called “panda effect” is reflected in increased visitor numbers, merchandising, and international attention.
A look behind the scenes: The role of politics
Behind the friendly smiles of the politicians and the traditional lion dance were long diplomatic negotiations. Former Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, in particular, played a central role: as an honorary member of the Tiergarten's supervisory board, he had been working in the background for over two years to renew the cooperation. “Opinions can be divided about China's policies - but maintaining this symbolic connection is strategically valuable for Austria,” Schüssel emphasized in an interview.
For China, too, the new panda agreement is more than just a zoological act: it is a sign to Europe that cultural partnership and bilateral dialogue will continue to be cultivated, even in geopolitically tense times.