"Aibao Gives Birth Three Times, No Need to Return to China?... Reviewing the Contract Terms"

Rumors of Repatriation Exemption and Stay Extension After Aibao's Fourth Cub

"No such clause in the contract, and no changes to the agreement"

Although there have been online rumors suggesting an exemption from repatriation after the fourth giant panda cub was born to Aibao at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, it has been reported that these claims are not true.

The youngest panda born last June at Everland Panda World. Samsung C&T Corporation

According to Yonhap News on the 18th, various online communities have circulated stories claiming that if a giant panda, which can only breed during a very narrow window of 1 to 3 days per year, gives birth more than three times, it will not be required to return to China. There are also unconfirmed claims suggesting that, even if not fully exempted, the panda's stay in Korea could be extended. However, all of these rumors have been confirmed to be false.

China practices so-called "panda diplomacy" as a gesture of friendship when strengthening diplomatic relationships with other countries. Although the origins are debated, panda diplomacy is widely considered to have become prominent after U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, and China gifted two pandas to the United States to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic relations. These initial pandas were gifts, but since the 1980s, panda diplomacy has shifted to long-term leases for a rental fee. This change occurred after China joined the Washington Convention (CITES) in 1983, which prohibits the sale or donation of rare animals.

Ruibao (left), Huibao (center), Aibao (right). Samsung C&T Corporation

Regarding Aibao (born on July 13, 2013) and Le Bao (born on July 28, 2012), which came to Korea in 2016, Korea and China signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to cooperate on panda conservation. When Aibao and Le Bao arrived in Korea, it was under the condition of a 15-year lease, which requires them to return to China by March 2031. It is known that this contract has not changed to date. Everland has stated that there was never a condition in their contract exempting panda repatriation or extending the lease after three births, nor has there been any subsequent change to these terms.

The offspring of Aibao and Le Bao are also subject to the terms of the international lease agreement, which requires that they be returned to China before the age of four. The first cub, Fubao, was repatriated to China in 2024. Fubao's younger twin siblings, Luibao and Huibao, must also return to China before July of the following year. However, considering the pandas' health, there is a possibility they may be returned this winter. The youngest cub, born last month, will also need to be sent back to China before reaching the age of four, by June 2030.

However, in practice, there have been cases overseas where extensions were granted through negotiations with China. For example, the female Mei Xiang and male Tian Tian, who arrived at the Smithsonian National Zoo in the United States in 2000 under an initial 10-year agreement, were able to stay until 2023 after several extensions. Xiang Xiang, a giant panda born at Japan's Ueno Zoo in 2017, was originally scheduled to be repatriated by the end of 2021, but after a total of five extensions, she was returned to China in February 2023. The Adelaide Zoo in Australia also announced in 2019 that, following an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni would remain at the zoo for an additional five years. Wang Wang and Fu Ni ultimately spent 15 years at the zoo.

However, Everland has clarified that, in the case of Aibao and Le Bao, there are still five years remaining before repatriation, so it is not yet time to negotiate with China. There have also not been any discussions about postponing the return of the twin pandas.

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