Sino-Japanese news portal jnocnews.jp published an article October 15, 2012, Public blame Ueno Zoo in Tokyo for killing China's baby panda bear, written by its editor-in-chief Jiang Feng. The article accused the zoo of deliberately murdering the baby panda born to Zhen Zhen, a panda lent to the zoo by China. The zoo stated that the newborn panda died of pneumonia. Jiang quoted the director of the Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido as saying "the director of Ueno Zoo should use the time he spent crying at the press conference to find the real reason for the death of the newborn panda, otherwise history will repeat itself." He claims that Ueno Zoo made many mistakes which directly or indirectly led to the baby panda's death.

This case took place at the time of the Diaoyu Islands dispute heating up. When journalist interviewed nationalist Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, he said "I'm not interested in the birth of baby panda", and suggested naming it "Jian Jian" or "Ge Ge", after the Japanese names for the Diaoyu Islands. Therefore, many netizens in both countries believe that Ueno Zoo killed the newborn baby panda.

@ooo栗子ooo：China's panda was lent to Japan rather than being given for free. The survival rate of pandas is a serious problem, but sometimes mother pandas are likely to abandon one of their own children.

@帝王树---梦：China's panda diplomacy needs to stop. I feel so sad when I see our pandas exiled and go to faraway places

@飞翔的iPhone4：Anyone who has been to a Japanese zoo knows that pandas in Japan enjoy great treatment, which few zoos in China can provide. Loud noise and flashlights are prohibited from zoos in Japan. Therefore, I doubt that Japan's zoo killed the newborn panda.

@昴小Q：When the baby panda died, Tokyo's citizens were really very sad. This sadness cannot be pretended. I really want to know who advocates this kind of story. Why have to drag pandas into political issues? We have the right to take back our pandas if we believe they abused them.

@蓝色0124：Somebody who doesn't care about baby pandas can be elected as governor, which gives us reason to question what kind of living environment they can provide for pandas. What a pity!

@熊猫睡神：Give back our pandas!

@一路没向北：Chinese should strengthen and love ourselves! If Japan does not cherish friendship with us, we should decisively take back our pandas!