The announcement came just a week after Taiwan's independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian — who has repeatedly piqued Beijing's ire in recent months — urged Chinese leaders to keep pandas in their natural habitat.
Supporters of independence for the island, which Beijing regards as its territory, have dismissed the offer as a propaganda ploy designed to win favor with the Taiwanese people.
The pandas were named Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, which comes from the Chinese word "tuanyuan," or "reunion" in English.
"We will appeal the decision," said Chao Ming-chieh, spokesman for the municipal Taipei Zoo.
"Construction of the panda area is expected to be completed in September and our preparations and trainings are progressing and we can accommodate the pandas," he said.
Sponsors of the zoo have invested some $230 million Taiwan ($7.09 million U.S.) to build the panda area, which will also include a tourist center and an international conference facility.
Leofoo Safari Park, located in northern Hsinchu County, also stressed that it could take care of the pandas and said it would appeal to the government.
Beijing made the panda offer during a historic trip last year to China by Taiwan's opposition leader, former Kuomintang chairman Lien Chan.
China has been using panda diplomacy worldwide since the Cold War and has reportedly made at least three earlier attempts to give pandas to Taiwan, none through official channels.
Beijing's pandas usually come with enormous rental fees, which U.S. zoos have recently complained about, but China has said there would be no charges for Taiwan in this case.
Name: Giant Panda (
Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Primary Classification: Ursidae (Bears)
Location: The Sichuan, Gansu and Shanxi provinces in central China.
Habitat: Temperate bamboo forests.
Diet: Bamboo, almost exclusively.
Size: Up to 6 ft in length and 250 lbs in weight.
Description: Black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs and shoulders; white fur everywhere else; thick, woolly coat; broad, round face and flat nose; large molars; round, protruding ears; round body with short, sturdy limbs.
Cool Facts: Mothers will eat their cubs' stools to eliminate any evidence of their presence, thereby avoiding potential predators. They need to eat more than 22 lbs of bamboo per day to satisfy their daily requirement of nutrients.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss and poaching.
What Can I Do?: Visit
Pandas International,
Smithsonian's National Zoo and
The Hong Kong Society for Panda Conservation for information on how you can help.
