Taiwan asks China to help “Tuan Thuan” the dragon panda He has a life-threatening brain disease.
On September 29, CNN reported that Tuan Thuan, a male panda given to Taiwan by China as a gift to Taiwan, became ill with a life-threatening brain defect. After abnormal behaviour, loss of appetite and fits for 3 minutes at the end of August. and MRI scans revealed brain damage.
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Giant panda Tuan Tuan receives an MRI performed at National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital on September 18, 2022.
Taipei Zoo is seeking the help of Chinese experts to heal Tuan Thuan, and Taipei Zoo staff are hoping for support. But such a request raises the possibility of a delicate diplomatic balance. Because relations between China and Taiwan have been in trouble since Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. visit Taiwan in August As China increases its pressure on Taiwan with several military exercises around the island of Taiwan.
Now, animal lovers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will be watching how China will respond to the Taipei Zoo’s request. which is proof “Panda diplomacy” has been known for a long time in China.
Giant panda Tuan Tuan wakes up from anesthesia after undergoing a physical examination at the Taipei Zoo in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
“Tuan Thuan” and “Yuan Yuan” are the female pandas. China gave Taiwan as a goodwill gift in 2018 as part of But “Tuan Thuan” and “Yuan Yuan” are also politically sensitive symbols of the Communist Party’s views on Taiwan. Because the names of the two together mean “Reunification” in Chinese, in this sense it is the reunification of the nation Taiwan to China.
However, there are some signs that China will offer peace or reconciliation. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Bureau, said that the Taipei Zoo has notified the Giant Panda Prevention Research Center in Chengdu, Sichuan state of Tuan Thuan Province. while China Daily Official Chinese Media Reports on Wednesday (September 28) that Chinese experts are ready to provide technical assistance to the zoo and help Tuan Thuan.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, the two giant pandas from China, eat bamboo leaves inside their new enclosure at the Taipei Zoo on January 26, 2009.
A spokesman for the Taipei Zoo said it was very pleased with the help, but added that Chinese experts did not indicate whether they planned to send experts.
Earlier, a Taipei Zoo spokesperson said: Both sides worked closely together to care for Tuan Thuan and Yuanyuan. and exchange information regularly and in the past, when pandas give birth China also sent experts to help Taiwan.
In this photo released by the Taipei Zoo, Giant Pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are seen near their birthday cake to mark their 18th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are two giant pandas donated by China to Taiwan in 2008 as part of an exchange program. Combining their names, “tuan yuan” means “uniting” in the Chinese language. (Taipei Zoo via AP)
The Taiwan Zoo said in a statement that “Tuan Thuan is recovering under behind-the-scenes care. And we need to wait for all the results of the examination before announcing the cause of Tuan Thuan’s illness.”
Tuan Thuan and Yuanyuan gave birth to two children, the first in 2013 and the second in 2020. Tuan Tuan turned 18 last August.
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