From Knight Ridder, via San Jose Mercury News (link):
The latest weapons in the tussle between China and Taiwan are cuddly and adorable and do little all day but chew bamboo and frolic.
China has offered two giant pandas to Taiwan as a goodwill gesture. It has named the two pandas Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, a play on the Chinese word “tuanyuan,” which means “reunion.”
Taiwan’s leaders are squirming, looking for a way to postpone or reject the offer without annoying the Taiwanese public. Opinion polls indicate many Taiwanese want the pandas. A decision by Taipei is expected on April 3.
See also “Editorial: Loving the pandas from afar” from the Taipei Times, and “Snow fun for panda pair” from People’s Daily. Read more about Chinese reactions to the pandas.
