China's gesture of giving pandas to different nations is the country's act of diplomacy. (Photo : Global Times)
The Chinese central government gave a new pair of giant panda to Macau as replacement to the previous pandas that died due to kidney failure in 2014.
Pandas number 726 and 667, which both weigh 110 kilos, are male and female, respectively, and arrived in Macau on Thursday.
They were named Kaikai and Xinxin, which are also the names of the deceased pandas.
It took three months for China to select the best replacements to give Macau.
Sonia Chan, Macau's Secretary for Administration and Justice, stated that the giant panda is a rare wild animal and it is considered as China's national treasure cherished and welcomed by people around the world as a symbol of peace and harmony.
Chan, who welcomed the panda together with 100 children at the Macao Airport, added that Macau citizens are enthusiastic about the pandas' arrival.
According to the Macau government, Kaikai will be brought to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a non-profit research and breeding facility for giant pandas and other rare animals, for breeding purposes.
The deceased Kaikai and Xinxin were also China's gift to Macau during the 10th anniversary celebration of Macau's homecoming to China.
They were housed in a luxury pavilion where they were fed and provided medical facilities, the Global Times reported.
The pavilion costs 90 million patacas ($11.4 million), the news site added.
Aside from Macau, the central government has also given pandas to countries like Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.
China's gesture of giving pandas to different nations is an act of diplomacy.
