(ECNS) — Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, the last remaining giant pandas on loan to Japan, returned to China early Wednesday, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda said, marking the suspension of the country's long-running panda conservation exchange with Japan.

The two pandas arrived at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport at 1 a.m. Beijing time. They were later transferred to the Ya'an base of the research center, where they will undergo quarantine and health monitoring.

Born in June 2021 at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are the offspring of giant pandas Bi Li and Xian Nu, who were sent to Japan in 2011 as envoys of China-Japan friendship under bilateral conservation cooperation. The pair produced two litters, including Xiang Xiang, born in 2017, who returned to China in 2023. Bi Li and Xian Nu themselves returned to China in September 2024 due to age-related health concerns and are now in stable condition.

With the return of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, Japan will enter its first period without giant pandas since the animals were first sent there following the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations in 1972.

On the possibility of extending panda cooperation with Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Jan. 21 that China is aware of the strong affection for giant pandas among the Japanese public and welcomes Japanese visitors to China to see the animals.

（By Evelyn）