Becoming pandas

In Chapter 4 , I demonstrate that panda diplomacy represents a further development of the giant panda industry, in which the Chinese nation began to play a more prominent role in the global industrial project. This chapter also questions the participation of the Chinese in the giant panda industry through the lens of panda diplomacy and illustrates how, since the involvement of the Chinese nation, panda diplomacy has significantly advanced the development of the panda industry. Here, I reassess the participation of the Chinese nation and political engagement in the giant panda industry, highlighting how Western imperialist and colonialist ideologies continue to fail in recognizing the Chinese nation’s engagement in panda diplomacy.