A giant panda gifted by China to Taiwan 14 years ago during a softer diplomatic period between the two sides died on Saturday after suffering a series of strokes, the Taipei Zoo said.

Tuan Tuan and his partner Yuan Yuan, whose names mean “unity” and “reunion” in Chinese, were handed over to Taiwan in 2008 by China, which considers the island part of Chinese territory, symbolizing improved relations between them at the time and which is now at its lowest level, News.ro notes with reference to AFP.

“Our medical team confirmed that Tuan Tuan’s heart stopped beating at 13:48 (05:48 GMT),” the zoo said.

On Saturday, Panda was anesthetized for a CT scan, and the team decided to let Tuan Tuan “sleep.” Zoo officials said the images showed his condition was “irreversible” and that he could no longer “lead a quality life.”

“It would be extremely painful and risky for Tuan Tuan to be resuscitated from anesthesia,” said Eric Cao, a spokesman.

In August, vets found 18-year-old Tuan Tuan sick, and scans revealed he had a traumatic brain injury.

Suspecting the animal was suffering from a brain tumor, the zoo placed it in palliative care last month.

“Panda Diplomacy”

At the end of October, Chinese veterinarians were invited by Taiwan to visit the panda.

Beijing routinely borrows pandas and their cubs are sent to China as part of “panda diplomacy,” a gift China uses to strengthen its relations with other countries.

The arrival of a pair of pandas, proposed in 2008, caused a veritable “pandomania” on the island, especially after the birth of a panda cub, Yuan Zai.

Tensions between Taiwan and China reached their highest level in years in August, when Beijing staged large-scale, unprecedented military maneuvers to protest a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.