by | Oct 14, 2024 | The Hill
A new pair of giant pandas is en route to the National Zoo,
to
.
CNN
that two 3-year-old pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, had made their exit from a southwestern China giant panda research base late Monday local time. The giant bears were set to take a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet to the nation’s capital hours later.
“We have prepared corn buns, bamboo shoots, carrots, water, and medicine to ensure the pandas’ needs are met during the flight,” a statement on the journey of the pandas from the China Wildlife Conservation Association said, according to CNN.
Washington-area TV station WUSA
Monday with the China Wildlife Conservation Association that by early Monday, the pandas were bound for D.C.
At the
, the National Zoo’s three giant pandas left Washington, returning to China. They left upon the
agreement,
Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) announced in May that pandas from China would return later this year.
The panda exchange with China began under an agreement brokered by then-President Nixon in 1972, which led to several pandas being loaned to U.S. zoos for research purposes.
The Hill has reached out to the press office for the NZCBI.
by | Oct 14, 2024 | The Hill
The United States said it is “seriously concerned” about
near
on Monday.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. is concerned by the joint military drills the People’s Liberation Army is conducting in the Taiwan Strait.
“The [People’s Republic of China] response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation,”
The U.S. called on China to “act with restraint” and avoid actions that could cause instability in the area.
China employed a record 125 aircraft and its Liaoning aircraft carrier and ships in large-scale military exercises that sealed off key ports, The Associated Press reported.
The military moves underscore the tense relations between Taiwan and China.
Beijing made it clear that its military action was a “resolute punishment” for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s rejection of China’s sovereignty claim.
The military drills came days after Taiwan celebrated the founding of its government on its National Day.
Miller said the U.S. will continue to monitor China’s activities and coordinate with allies about its concerns.
“The United States remains committed to its longstanding one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances,” Miller’s statement said.
While the U.S. is seen as a major ally to Taiwan, it does not formally recognize the island as a separate state from the mainland. China believes the land is part of its territory and has vowed to consolidate it by using force if necessary.
by | Oct 14, 2024 | The Guardian
PLA and Chinese coastguard approach Taiwan by sea and air in move linked by state media to ‘separatist’ National Day speechChinese military and coastguard personnel
