|
Taiwan panda selection reaches final stages
By Xing Zhigang (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-14 05:57
Beijing yesterday shortlisted 11 giant pandas as candidates for the pair to
be sent to Taiwan as a goodwill gift.
The pandas six males and five females were selected from 23 at the China
Giant Panda Research Centre in Wolong in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
Two giant pandas
play at China Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre in Wolong
National Natural Reserve, southwest China's Sichuan province, in this May
14, 2005 file photo. [newsphoto] |
Zhang Hemin, director of the centre, presented resumes of the candidates
outlining their age, weight, family tree, and personality at a regular press
conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.
In the coming weeks, panda experts will match-up the animals, all aged
between one and five, for "trial marriages."
According to Zhang, the marriages are expected to last about 20 days to
establish which pairing is likely to be the most successful.
"Only by doing so can we ensure the best pair of pandas are finally picked to
represent the common aspirations of the 1.3 billion compatriots on the
mainland," said Zhang, also head of the nine-member giant panda selection panel.
Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, joked that the period will
be like a series of "dates" for the 11 pandas, all artificially bred at the
Wolong centre.
Both Li and Zhang declined to specify when the final pair would be chosen.
Beijing made the panda offer as a goodwill gesture in early May, at the end
of a historic visit to the mainland by Lien Chan, former chairman of Taiwan's
Kuomintang (KMT) party.
Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party administration, however, has
been blocking the offer, describing it as part of Beijing's "united front"
strategy against the island.
At the press briefing, Li confirmed that Lien will pay a second visit to the
mainland between October 14 and 28 as honorary KMT chairman.
The spokesman also announced the mainland will hold a series of commemorative
events to mark the 60th anniversary of Taiwan's liberation from Japan's 50-year
colonial rule.
On October 25, 1945, Japan returned the island to the then "Republic of
China" government at the end of World War II.
Li also expressed China's total opposition towards former Taiwan leader Li
Teng-hui's visit to the United States.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan yesterday expressed firm opposition to
Taipei's assignment of the island's "legislative speaker" Wang Jin-pyng to
attend the informal meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC).
(China Daily 10/14/2005 page3)
|
