"Like Fubao" Panda Economic Impact Targeted by San Francisco, USA

San Francisco, USA, which has been suffering from a sharp increase in homelessness, drug addiction, and crime since the COVID-19 pandemic, is pinning its hopes on the Chinese 'Giant Panda' to revitalize the local economy.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 22nd (local time) that London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, is considering the Chinese Giant Panda as a new idea to overcome various problems the city has faced since the pandemic.

Upon returning from her trip to China the day before, a paper bag containing Giant Panda plush toys was seen on Mayor Breed’s luggage cart. During this visit, Mayor Breed finalized a contract with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to loan a pair of pandas to the San Francisco Zoo next year. At the airport, she said, "Everyone is really excited about the pandas."

The NYT described this as "Mayor Breed’s biggest achievement abroad," adding that "the arrival of the 'black-and-white superstar (panda)' could be an economic boon for San Francisco, which has been hit hard by the pandemic." It also noted that the panda loan could personally benefit Mayor Breed, who is facing a tough re-election campaign for her mayoral position.

China, which had not sent pandas to the U.S. for some time due to deteriorating U.S.-China relations, has shown a changed stance since the summit between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping held in San Francisco last November. During his visit to San Francisco, President Xi said, "The panda has long been a messenger of friendship between China and the United States," signaling a revival of so-called panda diplomacy in relations with the U.S. Following the decision to send a pair of pandas to the San Diego Zoo in California this summer, China has now agreed to loan a pair to the San Francisco Zoo next year.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Panda diplomacy between the U.S. and China began in earnest after President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972. However, as tensions between the two countries escalated, there were voices locally suggesting that China was recalling pandas from the U.S., where they symbolize close diplomatic ties, according to the NYT. Last year, pandas living at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington and other locations were returned, leaving the Atlanta Zoo as the only zoo currently housing pandas in the U.S.

San Francisco, in particular, is expecting the Giant Panda to boost local tourism and economic revitalization. Once popular with tourists, San Francisco has been suffering from rapid urban decline since the pandemic. Downtown buildings are filled with vacant properties, and the streets have seen an increase in homeless people and drug addicts, leading to a decline in tourist visits. The NYT reported, "Mayor Breed hopes the Giant Panda will lift the morale and economy of San Francisco, which is struggling to recover from the pandemic." The strategy is to leverage the rare Giant Panda in the U.S. to stimulate local economic and tourism activity.

The economic effect of pandas highlighted by the NYT is also evident in the case of 'Fu Bao,' who recently returned to China from South Korea. Since Fu Bao, born in Yongin, South Korea, was publicly revealed, Everland’s visitor numbers have exceeded 5.5 million, with various merchandise sales and collaborations for the Fu Bao edition following. Earlier, the Ueno Zoo in Japan, which sent off pandas such as Xiang Xiang, estimated that despite the various costs associated with panda loans, the economic effect brought by baby pandas amounts to about 26.7 billion yen (approximately 240 billion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.