Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
China pandas lift off for Taiwan
By ANDY WONG,Associated Press Writer AP - 1 hour 12 minutes ago
CHENGDU, China - A pair of pandas left China Tuesday on a long-awaited goodwill journey to their new home in Taiwan in the latest move symbolizing the warming ties between the rivals.
Reflecting the importance of the trip to China, state television carried live coverage of "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" being carefully loaded onto a special charter flight, and the plane gently lifting off from the Chengdu airport in Sichuan province for three-hour flight to Taiwan.
The cage holding the four-year-olds had pictures of pandas painted on it, and similar pictures were on the headrests and walls inside the EVA Air 747.
"I wish them a happy life in Taiwan," the official Xinhua News Agency quoted tearful Ya'an panda keeper Qu Chunmao as saying before the two left.
Beijing first offered the pandas to Taiwan in 2005 hoping they would strengthen Taiwanese public support for reuniting with the mainland, an offer rejected by the island's former leaders who supported independence for the self-governed island. Current Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has tried to nurture closer ties with the mainland and accepted the pandas as a goodwill gesture.
More than 500 security guards and armed police kept watch at the airport as the pandas arrived for their historic trip. The tight security underscores enduring political tension between China and rival Taiwan, with the self-ruled island's opposition warning that the pandas may be a communist propaganda ploy.
When linked, "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" mean "reunion" in Chinese.
Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and China has repeatedly warned that any Taiwanese moves to formalize its de facto independence could be met with war.
A veterinarian and panda keeper will travel with the animals, packing motion sickness pills as well as more than 1,700 pounds (800 kilograms) of bamboo in case they don't like the food at the sprawling hillside Taipei Zoo.
A two-story-high glass and rock house will serve as the animals' new home. After a monthlong quarantine the exhibit will be open for public viewing around the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 26.
The giant panda is unique to China and serves as an unofficial national mascot, giving such gifts political overtones. China regularly sends the animals abroad as a sign of warm diplomatic relations or to mark breakthroughs in ties.
Cheng Wen-tsang, spokesman for Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party, has said China's ultimate goal is to win Taiwanese political support, and that the pandas "will not cover up China's military threat against us."
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Fiji and New Zealand expel ambassadorsAFP - 24 minutes ago
American Samoa letter sent to Honolulu for testingAP - 26 minutes ago
Rights group: Sri Lanka hampers aid to displacedAP - 28 minutes ago
China ready to use force on Somali piratesAFP - 40 minutes ago
Road diversion trial at Woodlands Centre Road to be extendedChannel NewsAsia - 1 hour 2 minutes ago
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
OECD forecast deepens gloom as world stocks slip
Quake zone hero pig named China's animal of the year
Tata gives Jaguar cash boost pending bail-out decision: FT
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
New Year's hangover? Take two eels and call me in the morning
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular