Awww, They are beyond adorable!!! I never realized how large those giant pandas are until I saw the photo of the two standing up!! Very cute.
Thanks!! I was checking for more photos and came across this ice sculpture of Santa.. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/26/content_10561158.htm Awesome ice sculpture. On Dec 26, 9:05 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Taipei zoo welcomes mainland panda > pairhttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/24/content_10552517.htm > > Peace and best wishes. > > Xi > > On Dec 20, 4:33 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > China Offers Taiwan Crisis Help, More Financial > > Tieshttp://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aFZOzHvMdnjY&refe... > > > Dec. 20 (Bloomberg) -- China offered to help Taiwan cope with the > > deepening global financial crisis and proposed broader financial links > > at a forum that will set the stage for further government-level talks > > after a nine-year suspension. > > > China is ready to help Taiwan and the two sides should discuss a > > financial supervisory mechanism for banks, securities and insurance > > firms as well as a currency-clearance mechanism, Jia Qinglin, a > > Politburo member, said at a forum in Shanghai. > > > Officials of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang and their Chinese counterparts > > are meeting to hammer out a consensus on broadening financial ties as > > their economies face a worsening global recession. Taiwanese > > businessmen have already invested an estimated $150 billion in China > > and have been clamoring for Taiwan financial companies to be permitted > > to offer services to ease access to financing and capital. > > > “An agreement could enable us to upgrade our four securities > > representative offices in China to branches,” said, Lin Shau-dai, > > chairman of Polaris Securities Co., Taiwan’s largest online brokerage. > > “It might allow us to enter China’s futures and asset management > > businesses, which are still banned for the moment.” > > > Taiwanese banks and securities firms can only operate representative > > offices, which aren’t permitted to offer any financial services. A > > consensus reached at the two-day meeting will likely form the basis > > for the governments of both sides to sign a memorandum of > > understanding on financial ties in the first half of next year. > > > Direct Investment > > > “Signing an MOU will mean we can directly invest in mainland banks > > without needing to do so via a third location,” said Daniel Tsai, > > chairman of Taiwan’s second-largest financial services company Fubon > > Financial Holding Co. “We will actively seek acquisition targets in > > China.” > > > Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd., Fubon’s Hong Kong unit, rose the most in > > seven weeks yesterday as the party officials met in Shanghai. Fubon > > shares advanced 20 percent, the most since Nov. 3, to close at HK > > $2.44, while the benchmark Hang Seng index fell 2.4 percent. > > > In June, Fubon Bank agreed to buy a 20 percent stake in Xiamen City > > Commercial Bank for 230 million yuan ($34 million). It was the first > > such purchase since the island started letting lenders buy into > > mainland banks through third-country subsidiaries in March. > > > Thawing Relations > > > The forum comes amid a thaw in ties after Taiwan and China on Dec. 15 > > ended a six decade-ban on direct transport and postal links. The > > resumption of links may boost the island’s $380 billion economy, which > > is headed for its first recession in seven years. > > > Ties between Taipei and Beijing improved significantly since the KMT’s > > Ma Ying-jeou took office in May and dropped the pro-independence > > stance of his predecessor Chen Shui-bian. > > > “We should jointly cooperate in seeking a practical model for dealing > > with the financial tsunami,” KMT chairman Wu Poh- hsiung told the > > forum. “We have a concrete plan to support Taiwanese businessmen, who > > are facing increasing difficulties in access to financing.” > > > Both sides should also give access to participation in public > > construction projects to bring in capital and experience in management > > and technology, Wu said. > > > Complementary Ties > > > “We can now expect Taiwan and China to complement each other,” said > > Jason Chang, chairman of Taiwan-listed Advanced Semiconductor > > Engineering Inc., the world’s largest chip packaging and testing > > company. “We can unify China’s huge funds and market and Taiwan’s > > experience in liberalization and management talents.” > > > The forum is the fourth annual summit since Chinese President and > > Communist Party leader Hu Jintao in 2005 met former Kuomintang > > Chairman Lien Chan, ending more than 60 years of hostility between the > > two political parties. > > > The KMT’s Wu and Honorary Chairman Lien are leading a delegation of > > about 150 KMT officials, business executives and academics. > > > Beijing and Taipei held their first official talks since 1999 in June, > > when they reached a consensus on opening direct weekend charter > > flights and allowing mainland tourists to the island. Resumption of > > exchanges had been slow as both sides of the Taiwan Strait regarded > > each other with suspicion, even as almost 1 million Taiwanese already > > live and work in China. > > > Direct links had been banned since the end of a civil war in 1949, > > when Mao Zedong’s victorious communist forces took control of China’s > > government and drove Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist army to Taiwan. The > > Chinese government still regards Taiwan part of its territory and aims > > hundreds of missiles at the island to prevent it from declaring > > independence. (*) > > > (*) My comment: This is unaccurate. Both the Republic of China > > (R.O.C.) a.k.a. Taiwan, and the People´s Republic of China (P.R.C.), > > have in their constitution that there is just one China. This sort of > > journalists should respect, at least, what Taiwanese have had since > > the begining in their constitution and what they have decided in a > > referendum celebrated in 2008. ROC has missiles trageting mainland and > > PRC targetting Taiwan since 1949, not just one side as this biased > > journalist tries to make readers to believe. > > > This style of journalism tries to break ties between the two areas of > > China. Fortunately, current politicians look for cooperation instead > > of politic differences. > > > On Dec 17, 3:19 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > More ... > > > > Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4UOcgPzZcY > > > > Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4YPRHGEsNw > > > > On Dec 15, 3:32 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Pandas ready for Taiwanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTp6SuZFbcY > > > > > Direct cross-strait flightshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdH5H52N16I > > > > > I hope you like it. > > > > > Peace and best wishes. > > > > > Xi- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World-thread" group. 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