Malaysia plans to offer orangutans to palm oil-buying countries, launching an initiative reminiscent of China’s “panda diplomacy” (AFP / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN)
Malaysia plans to offer orangutans to palm oil-buying countries, launching an initiative reminiscent of China’s “panda diplomacy”, a minister said on Wednesday.
According to Minister of Raw Materials Johari Abdul Ghani, the “orangutan diplomacy” strategy will involve offering these endangered great apes to nations trading in palm oil, particularly major importers like the EU and India.
Malaysia will thus show that “it is still committed to preserving biodiversity”, he said, on X.
According to the WWF, orangutans are critically endangered, threatened primarily by habitat loss “due to logging, agricultural expansion, particularly palm oil plantations, and infrastructure development.
Environmentalists say palm oil production is leading to the destruction of rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia, where the majority of global production comes from.
Johari Abdul Ghani urged palm oil companies to collaborate with NGOs to contribute to the preservation of Malaysia’s wildlife and provide technical expertise on the matter.
Palm oil is used in food (cakes, chocolate, margarine, etc.) and in cosmetics, soap and shampoo.
For China, panda diplomacy is a form of “soft power”, a strategy of influence in international relations. It enters into loan agreements for its pandas with foreign zoos which, if born, generally have to return the little ursids a few years later so that they join the country’s breeding program.
