Taipei City delegation to depart for Sichuan for panda delivery

The delegation, to be headed by Yang Hsiao-tung, director of the city’s Department of Information and Tourism, will visit the giant panda habitat in the Wolong Nature Reserve to discuss the transportation of the two endangered animals.

“The arrival day and how the pandas will be transported will not be finalized until we reach a consensus with our Chinese counterparts on what’s best for the pandas, “ Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin told reporters Dec. 11

Two Taipei Zoo technicians left for the Wolong wildlife sanctuary Dec. 12 to familiarize themselves with the rare animals.

China offered Taiwan the two pandas in 2005 when then-opposition Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan made an ice-breaking visit to Beijing.

The Chinese authorities also chose the names Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan for the pandas — which together mean “reunion” or “unification” in Chinese — through an online vote.

The offer, however, was turned down by the then-ruling Democratic Progressive Party administration, suspicious that China would claim the shipment of the pandas as a “domestic transfer” between zoos, which would mean Taiwan would have admitted it was part of China had it accepted them.

As giant pandas are a Grade-One endangered wildlife species subject to the protection of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), cross-border transfer of the animals must follow strict CITES provisions.

The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture approved the import of the pandas after President Ma Ying-jeou, who adopts a more conciliatory approach toward China, took office in May and chose Taipei Zoo to house them.

During a visit to Taipei last month by China’s top point man on Taiwan, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait President Chen Yunlin, both sides announced that in addition to the two pandas, China will also present Taiwan 17 dove tree seedlings — a plant native to China known there as “green panda,” in appreciation of Taiwan’s aid and relief efforts after a devastating earthquake in Sichuan in May.

According to an agreement signed Nov. 6 by Chen and his Taiwanese counterpart, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, Taiwan will give Beijing a pair of Formosan sika deer and a pair of Formosan serow in return for the pandas.

Introducing the pandas at the pact-signing ceremony, Chen did not mention the names Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, which local analysts said might mark an effort by Beijing to avoid offending local pro-independence activists.

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