Posted on 01/06/2006 1:18:28 PM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Officials in Taipei denounced yesterday Beijing's selection of two giant pandas intended as gifts to Taiwanese people as a "political plot" to force Taiwan to reunify with the Chinese mainland.
Taiwan officials yesterday blasted Beijing's selection of two giant pandas as gifts to Taiwanese people as a plot to force Taiwan to reunify with the Chinese mainland.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu said that China cannot send its giant pandas to Taiwan without Taiwan's prior consent.
Commenting on China's announcement earlier in the day that it has chosen two giant pandas to Taiwan without having first discussed the matter with Taiwan authorities, Wu called for China to show some respect toward Taiwan.
Speaking during a regular news briefing at the MAC headquarters, Wu said China has been using its offer to send the pandas as a "united front scheme."
"China has been insensitive and indifferent toward Taiwan by deciding unilaterally to send the two pandas while Taiwan is still discussing the matter," he said.
Noting that the MAC is not the supervising agency regarding the "panda matter," Wu said that the Council of Agriculture (COA) will make the final decision on whether and when Taiwan should accept the two pandas.
Wu reiterated, however, that several matters should be weighed before the Chinese pandas are actually introduced into Taiwan.
These include whether the applicants are qualified to apply; whether the would-be host zoo has adequate manpower resources and facilities; whether the import of the two pandas complies with current laws and regulations stipulated by international wildlife conservation organizations; and what the opinions are of international wildlife conservation organizations on whether Taiwan is suitable to host pandas, an endangered species.
Under the multilateral Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, pandas can only be lent by China to other countries and all the net profits from the exhibition of giant pandas should be used for the conservation of the species in China. The conservation fee every country has to pay China is up to US$1 million a year.
The pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers urged the government to reject the two pandas, which they said are part of Beijing's "united front tactics" against Taiwan.
Ho Min-hao, convener of the TSU's legislative caucus, said the government must impose stringent controls on the import of the animals, as China harbors an ambition to annex Taiwan and has refused to renounce the option of the use of force against the country.
But lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said they give full support for the import of the pandas without political interference.
The pandas are actually 700 feet tall, hollow, and contain batallions of Red Army troops.
I hear they make good eating.
The drop of unemployment to 4.9% and best close of the DOW since 2001 must have Willie Green totally depressed to be posting Panda "news" ROFLMAO
China has received at least a hundred million dollars for loaner pandas. CITES requires that the money be paid to China for the preservation of the species. Almost none of this money has been spent by China for the preservation of pandas.
LOL :)
They offered Pandas and Taiwanese are offended. Send them over here to the US... we can use more.
That's simply not true. They do get special protection in China -- you can get executed (and people have been) for poaching a panda.
Also, the Panda loaners are giving about $1 million per year is the usual amount. There aren't 100 panda loaners, more like 2 dozen of them world wide.
I believe the ones that Taiwan would receive are fee-free.
Friends of Liberty beware, this is a COMMUNIST agent! rofl
What's the difference between a panda and China? Pandas aren't pretending to be warm, cute and fuzzy.
You are ill informed. The total budget for the panda research center is well below 1 million a year. The DC museum spent 10 million each for their 2 pandas. The babies all are the property of China as are the parents. There is an imitial payment to the Chinese govt of 10 million each. CITES requires a 1 million payment annually to the Chinese government which is skimmed by corrupt officials. The program is a scam perpetrated by criminal elements in the Chinese government.
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