logo
Panda-mania: PM gushes over 'great friend of Australia'

Panda-mania: PM gushes over 'great friend of Australia'

The Advertiser17-07-2025
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit.
In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni.
The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo.
"A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo.
Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy".
The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe.
When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas.
But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years.
In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu.
Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship.
"They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday.
The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020.
Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone".
His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit.
In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni.
The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo.
"A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo.
Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy".
The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe.
When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas.
But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years.
In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu.
Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship.
"They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday.
The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020.
Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone".
His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit.
In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni.
The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo.
"A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo.
Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy".
The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe.
When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas.
But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years.
In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu.
Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship.
"They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday.
The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020.
Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone".
His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit.
In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni.
The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo.
"A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo.
Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy".
The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe.
When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas.
But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years.
In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu.
Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship.
"They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday.
The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020.
Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone".
His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich
Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich

The Age

time2 hours ago

  • The Age

Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich

Millions of Australians face being left behind in the race to greener energy, one of the nation's largest power distributors has warned, as renters miss out on huge savings from solar panels while homes without off-street parking cannot install electric vehicle chargers. From this year, home-owners with solar panels stand to benefit from even bigger electricity bill cuts following the introduction of federal government rebates wiping thousands of dollars off the cost of installing batteries that can soak up their excess energy. Increasing home battery uptake has many advantages: it will enable Australia to harness more of its world-leading per-person solar panel uptake to use after sunset, drive down greenhouse gas emissions and smooth out volatile price swings across the market. But the household clean energy boom may create winners and losers, warns Ausgrid, the largest power distribution company on Australia's eastern seaboard. The company points to renters and lower-income Australians who are unable to make the switch and are forced to stay on increasingly expensive fossil fuel-based energy supplies. 'The problem we see is that if you don't own your own home, or have the financial wherewithal, you are faced with the full system cost of the transition,' said Rob Amphlett Lewis, Ausgrid's group executive of distributed services. Loading 'What we are in danger of is a two-speed transition that works for the 'haves' and is paid for by the 'have-nots'.' Ausgrid and other Australian distribution network service providers are seeking to expand their reach beyond building and maintaining the network's poles and wires and into other future-facing functions where they believe they are well placed to deliver more efficient outcomes for consumers. Their push, however, has opened a major new rift in the industry between network operators and a wide range of other electricity market participants, which are urging regulators against any waiver from 'ring-fencing' rules designed to prevent monopolies from encroaching on competitive markets, and argue it could drive up costs.

Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich
Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich

Sydney Morning Herald

time2 hours ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Power giant warns of ‘two-speed' green shift which benefits only the rich

Millions of Australians face being left behind in the race to greener energy, one of the nation's largest power distributors has warned, as renters miss out on huge savings from solar panels while homes without off-street parking cannot install electric vehicle chargers. From this year, home-owners with solar panels stand to benefit from even bigger electricity bill cuts following the introduction of federal government rebates wiping thousands of dollars off the cost of installing batteries that can soak up their excess energy. Increasing home battery uptake has many advantages: it will enable Australia to harness more of its world-leading per-person solar panel uptake to use after sunset, drive down greenhouse gas emissions and smooth out volatile price swings across the market. But the household clean energy boom may create winners and losers, warns Ausgrid, the largest power distribution company on Australia's eastern seaboard. The company points to renters and lower-income Australians who are unable to make the switch and are forced to stay on increasingly expensive fossil fuel-based energy supplies. 'The problem we see is that if you don't own your own home, or have the financial wherewithal, you are faced with the full system cost of the transition,' said Rob Amphlett Lewis, Ausgrid's group executive of distributed services. Loading 'What we are in danger of is a two-speed transition that works for the 'haves' and is paid for by the 'have-nots'.' Ausgrid and other Australian distribution network service providers are seeking to expand their reach beyond building and maintaining the network's poles and wires and into other future-facing functions where they believe they are well placed to deliver more efficient outcomes for consumers. Their push, however, has opened a major new rift in the industry between network operators and a wide range of other electricity market participants, which are urging regulators against any waiver from 'ring-fencing' rules designed to prevent monopolies from encroaching on competitive markets, and argue it could drive up costs.

Private R&D investment by Australian businesses falling, report finds ahead of roundtable
Private R&D investment by Australian businesses falling, report finds ahead of roundtable

West Australian

time3 hours ago

  • West Australian

Private R&D investment by Australian businesses falling, report finds ahead of roundtable

Private investment into research and development in Australian businesses is slipping backwards and comparatively lower to similar other nations, a new report shows. The report — collated by the Business Council of Australia ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmer's productivity roundtable next month — identified a raft of targeted policies to boost business potential. It proposes offering extra incentives for collaboration and commercialisation, cutting red tape, and consolidating grants into major national programs. The report estimates that for every $1 spent on R&D, it generates $5 in economic value and $7 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) annually. If the suite of measures are implemented, it's expected to grow productivity in Australia 0.1 per cent each year. It also recommends a simpler R&D Tax Incentive by standardising tax offsets of 18.5 per cent above the company rate and removing its current $150 million cap. It's hoped having a single, consistent rule rather than the current different benefit rates depending on company size or how much they spend, would encourage firms to invest in R&D, especially smaller players. As for scrapping the cap, the policy is designed to allow businesses to claim tax offsets for all of their eligible R&D spend rather than just the first $150 million under the current framework. BCA chief executive Bran Black said the targeted policies were designed to fix Australia's productivity problems by unlocking investment, boosting jobs and wages. He said reversing the current trend, which has seen R&D investment drop 24 per cent in the last decade, would help drive innovation and productivity nationally. He said it was important businesses were given the 'right environment' to invest: 'If we don't act now then we will keep losing innovators, capital and ideas to other nations'. 'Better tax, collaboration and commercialisation policies will give businesses the confidence to take the next step and create new Australian technologies that benefit everyone's lives,' he said. The report will form part of a joint industry submission with well-known Australian software firm Atlassian and medical device company Cochlear. Cochlear chief executive and president Dig Howitt said policy reform and 'well-funded strategies' would be critical to unlocking more R&D in Australia. Atlassian chief of staff Amy Glancey said by supporting major companies to invest in R&D it would have a trickle down effect to create a better environment for entrepreneurship and innovation. Dr Chalmer's roundtable will be held at Parliament House August 19–21 and is expected to shape a shared agenda on improving productivity, strengthening budget sustainability, and building economic resilience. It has prompted a number of state-level consultations and spin-off roundtables, including one held on Friday by Independent MP Allegra Spender involving economists and industry figures in Canberra. The BCA, along with other industry bodies, companies, and government representatives, are finalising submissions ahead of the August roundtable, outlining ideas across tax, regulation, innovation, skills, and digital transformation to help lift Australia's productivity.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store