Why was Chi-Chi the panda banned from entering the United States in 1958?

After the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, pandas were only given as gifts to friendly socialist countries (as a means of panda diplomacy). Western countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States had no chance of obtaining a black-and-white bear. In 1958, Austrian animal broker Heini Demmer managed to exchange three giraffes, two rhinos, two hippos, and two zebras for one panda from the Beijing Zoo. The female bear Chi-Chi was supposed to go to one of the American zoos, but because of her "socialist past," Chi-Chi was banned from entering the United States. In the end, Chi-Chi was accepted by London Zoo, where she became a real celebrity. It was Chi-Chi who served as the prototype for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) logo.