Pandas and table tennis are two of China’s most beloved national symbols, but the behaviour of some of their admirers has prompted concerns about extreme online fandom.
In a rare open letter issued last month, the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in the southwestern province of Sichuan condemned what it called toxic fan culture and online abuse targeting panda keepers.
“Recently, it has been deeply disheartening to see certain individuals inciting and manipulating…