Panda names in Zoo Berlin: politics or just beautiful dreams?

Panda names in Zoo Berlin: politics or just beautiful dreams?

The big secret was revealed on Friday in the Berlin Zoo: The two sweet Panda babies are now bearing their German names-Leni and Lotti. The joy of the event was underlined by the presence of the ruling mayor Kai Wegner and the Chinese ambassador Deng Hongbo. In addition to their German names, the siblings, which are only three months old, also have the Chinese names Meng Hao and Meng Tian, which means "beautiful dreams" and "sweet dreams". These names should not only create a connection to the capital, but are also a sweet sign of cooperation between Germany and China, as zoo director Andreas Knieriem emphasized while he revealed the names.

political explosiveness for the pandas

But the visit had a politically explosive dimension behind the scenes. The Pandas in the Berlin Zoo are loans from the Chinese government that have been living in the capital since 2017. This strategy of China aims to approach the image of the country in the west and distract citizens of political tensions. In the past few months, however, the geopolitical situation has changed, which makes the ruling mayor appear critical. The comment by Gunnar Schupelius in the Bild China is covered by such harmless events, while China's aggressive acts take place against the western countries at the same time.

The two siblings now weigh almost 6 kilograms and spend most of their day sleeping while they continue to suck with their mother, Meng Meng. Her names Leni and Lotti were chosen to make a reference to the city and to win the hearts of the Berliners. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the friendship act with China could not also set a political signal, especially at a time when international relations are sometimes very tense.