MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has declined a Chinese offer of a panda for the Philippines, saying the country cannot let another animal starve to death. The secretary was reacting to an Agence France-Presse report about a panda whose sudden death in Thailand due to heart attack sparked outrage in China last month. China dispatched a team of experts to Thailand after 19-year-old Chuang Chuang died at the Chiang Mai Zoo on Sept. 16. China reportedly first used panda diplomacy in the 1950s. They are a national symbol of China, generating significant economic benefits for local communities through ecotourism and other activities.

Source: Philippine Star October 17, 2019 16:00 UTC