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Pandas Sent As Goodwill Gesture

Two giant pandas have been sent from China to Taiwan as a goodwill gift. Only two years ago the pair were rejected by the country's leaders. Now though, the new administration is keen to foster closer ties with China. Sky's Peter Sharp reports.

They survived the great China earthquake, now they are about to embark on a mission of peace and unity. It's a busy time for these animals when it comes super panda diplomacy. The two giant pandas "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan", together their names mean "unite", are on their way from their zoo in Chengdu to Taiwan as a goodwill gift from Beijing and a sign of improving ties between the two countries.

The two pandas mark a key stage in China's often fraught relations with Taiwan. They were turned down by anti-Chinese president two year ago, but as relations soar, this winter they are on their way.

Earlier China and Taiwan resumed transport links with daily flights and new shipping routes in an effort to establish a rapprochement with the island nation that China has long claimed that it's own.

In the past, China has given goodwill pandas to nine countries, including Japan, North Korea and the former Soviet Union. President Richard Nixon took one home with him after his groundbreaking trip to China in 1972.

The two four-year-old pandas are lucky to be alive. Their sanctuary at Wolong in Sichuan province was destroyed by the earthquake last May, in which more than 80,000 people died.

Pandas can only be found in the wild in China where they are slowly emerging from the brink of extinction. The two big bundles affair that make up this charm offensive departed on the two-hour trip to Taiwan, in their luggage, a healthy supply of steamed corn buns and fresh bamboo. In preparation for a bumpy ride, they also had a supply of airsick pills.

Their arrival was covered live in Taiwan. The country's newer celebrities will spend a month in quarantine before taking up residents in Taibei in their very own ten-million-dollar zoo extension. The pair of pandas are expected to attract three millions visitors a year. They'll be formally presented to the nation in the Chinese New Year Festivities next month.

Peter Sharp, Sky News in Beijing.

文本参考中文翻译

中国政府将一对大熊猫作为友好礼物赠送给台湾。两年前，台湾当局领导拒绝接受这对双胞胎。而现在，台湾新的管理当局希望和大陆发展友好关系。Sky新闻Peter Sharp报道。

这对大熊猫在汶川大地震中生存下来，现在开始着手和平和团结的任务。当被应用到熊猫外交时，这种动物非常忙碌。这两只大熊猫的名字叫做“团团”和“圆圆”，两个名字合在一起是团结的意思。这对大熊猫作为友好礼物，正从成都动物园运往台湾，这标志着台湾和大陆之间的关系有所好转。

这对大熊猫在中国大陆和台湾的关系中是一个关键阶段。两年前，前任总统拒绝统一，回绝了这对熊猫。现在由于两岸关系改善，团团圆圆终于踏上征程。

中国政府一向主张台湾是中国不可分割的一部分。此前，大陆和台湾实现了两岸三通，有助于加强两岸之间的友好关系。

过去，中国曾经向九个国家赠送过大熊猫，包括日本，朝鲜，前苏联等国家。尼克松总统在1972年访华之后，也带一只大熊猫回国。

这两只四岁的大熊猫幸运地生存下来，他们在卧龙的家园在5月份的大地震中完全毁坏。在这场大地震中，8万人丧生。

只有中国才有野生大熊猫。现在已经从灭绝的边缘慢慢繁盛起来。团团圆圆要乘坐两个小时的飞机才能到达台湾。在他们的行李中，装有健康的玉米面包和新鲜的竹子。为了这次崎岖的旅程，还为他们准备了晕机药。

他们的到来在台湾做了现场报道。在入住新的耗资1000万美元的动物园之前，这对新的明星将被隔离一个月。这预计这对大熊猫一年将会吸引300万游客。他们将在下月的春节期间正式露面。