Giant pandas has been taken as the symbol of China. In 1970’s, loans of giant pandas to American and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the diplomacy of China. It marked the first cultural exchanges between China and the West at that time. Panda, loved by people all over the world, became the reflection of the curiosity from the West toward closed China. However, the panda diplomacy also brought up more conflicts. The huge profits of panda loans encouraged China to capture wild pandas. Moreover, the debate of loans of giant pandas between China and WWF become political oppositions.

Aura Gallery Beijing will present an exhibition of Zhao Jifeng: Empire Pet.

The pandas depicted by Zhao Jifeng show the conflicts from the empire pets: the cute, lovely panda appears its fierce nature, the panda doted by the tourists explains it is the sacrifice of the diplomacy. Furthermore, the pandas lying under the politician also strongly criticize this inhuman fact.

Today, the West has changed their opinions to China due to the Olympics and the development of economy, while the loans of giant pandas have been forbidden. The world treats the empire pets not as the diplomacy items any more but as the consumer icons. The latest works of Zhao Jifeng present the change as well.