Chen says PRC should keep pandas

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on March 24, 2006. It reports that President Chen Shui-bian recently called on Chinese leaders to keep their giant pandas in their natural habitat, instead of using them as diplomatic gifts. The animals should be allowed to live in the wild and enjoy their right to survive freely.

Beijing offered to give Taiwan a pair of pandas in May 2005 when Lien Chan, former chairman of the opposition Kuomingtang (KMT), visited China. Lien was the first KMT leader to make the trip since 1949.

President Chen referred to a book about giant pandas that was written by Chinese zoologist Pan Wenshi. A passage of the book states: "Giant pandas did not survive millions of years of evolution just to be put in a zoo to entertain people. Giant pandas in a zoo cannot be truly happy. They need to remain free, braving the wind and rain and seeing the world, looking for food and mating freely, being born in the wild and dying in the wild…"

Officials from the Council of Agriculture are currently reviewing the panda case and will make their decision on whether to accept the pandas in April 2006. Their decision will be based on the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as well as on Taiwan's wildlife protection laws.