Panda Lang Yue, born two years ago at Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, was due to be moved to China the following day and added to a breeding programme there. The zoo said the move followed an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association that pandas born at Ouwehands return to China before they are four years old, rather than diplomatic pressure. A farewell ceremony was planned with a delegation from the Chinese embassy in The Hague and local children.

The move was discussed in the context of China’s use of pandas to build ties with other countries, known as panda diplomacy. Ouwehands director Robin de Lange said the zoo had continued to have good discussions with its Chinese counterparts and had not been told that diplomatic tensions were affecting the arrangement.