Diplomatic and zoological ties between Taipei and Beijing are attempts to emphasize similarities between Taiwan and the mainland, rather than further the standoff between the two that has existed since the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist forces at the hands of Mao Zedong’s communist party in 1949.

Easily identifiable as one of the “hot spots” for potential global conflict in the post-Cold War era, any shared identity between the PRC and ROC (economic, botanical, or cultural) is a good thing for all involved. Mainland China has long used “Panda Diplomacy” to symbolize and in some instances lubricate diplomatic relations with other regions, as the Giant Panda is the most identifiable image of China. By accepting the pandas, named Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan for “unity,” Taiwan is intentionally recognizing at least some degree of shared heritage, culture, and love for large bears with their communist brethren. For better or worse, this is highly likely to create not just a shared identity. Continued cross-strait relations will almost certainly lead to Taiwan’s gradual acknowledgment of itself as a region within the PRC, not a vaguely independent nation unto itself.