It is uncommon for pandas to give birth to captive chicks. Therefore, the Berlin Zoo was very lucky when panda Meng Meng gave birth to twins recently. But the pink kids have already landed in the political hot air.

Their birth coincides with a visit to China by Chancellor Merkel with a large industrial delegation in tow. Baptizing the kids to Hong and Kong would be a political marker in support of the Hong Kong-born human rights struggle, the newspaper believes.

Pandas are negotiated at the highest political level. Chancellor Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrate that Berlin Zoo rented two pandas from China in 2017. Photo: AFP / Axel Schmitt

This is not the first time pandas have sparked political debate. In Denmark, the government was blamed for laying flat for China to rent the coveted attractions. The charges included, among other things, that Denmark must have toned down its previous criticism of China's annexation of Tibet to borrow the pandas.

Proud panda dad Jiao Qing is one of the main attractions of the Berlin Zoo. But his kids will be returned to China after four years. Photo: AFP / Paul Zinken

China knows that their pandas are hotly sought after by zoos around the world. The delicate trade in exclusive animals has also been named panda diplomacy. The sweet bears can be used as pressure or as a reward for good behavior, a sign of good relationships.

Special food is imported

The price is then: Berlin Zoo pays SEK 10 million per year in rent for two pandas under 15 years. In addition, there are costs for importing specialty food and special care. The cramped and worn out zoo in West Berlin thinks it's worth the price. A large part of the more than 5 million visitors annually is thought to be due to the two bears.

The valuable and helpless kids are closely monitored by special Chinese experts. Photo: AP

The panda blog continuously reports on the couple's first kids and their development. Interest is great with long queues of curious.

From the activist team in Hong Kong, the name proposals Democracy and Freedom have been launched. Tien Tien and Anmen Anmen are other politically acclaimed name suggestions that hint at China's lack of respect for democracy.

"Hot dog"

Other names circulating in the newspapers' competitions are Yin and Yang, Ping and Pong, Tai and Chi, Wurst und Brot (Sausage and Bread) and Bruno and Knut.

But baby happiness doesn't last long. In four years, Berlin will have to return the kids to China, where 1800 pandas live in freedom, according to the World Nature Fund.