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Is China trying to buy us off with…therapy pandas?
Manage episode 424449456 series 2343564
The Chinese Communist Party has long used unconventional means to improve strained relationships. In the 1970s, this meant sending ping pong players to the United States, to encourage the country to lift its embargo against China. (It worked.)
So it was that China pledged, over the weekend, that it would loan one of our zoos two so-called therapy pandas. That’s right, pandas.
Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on how this diplomatic strategy went down in Canberra. And the skirmish in Parliament House that highlighted the perennial tensions between Australia and its largest trading partner. Which might take a lot more than therapy pandas to fix.
Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1055 episodes
Manage episode 424449456 series 2343564
The Chinese Communist Party has long used unconventional means to improve strained relationships. In the 1970s, this meant sending ping pong players to the United States, to encourage the country to lift its embargo against China. (It worked.)
So it was that China pledged, over the weekend, that it would loan one of our zoos two so-called therapy pandas. That’s right, pandas.
Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on how this diplomatic strategy went down in Canberra. And the skirmish in Parliament House that highlighted the perennial tensions between Australia and its largest trading partner. Which might take a lot more than therapy pandas to fix.
Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1055 episodes
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