Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, accompanied by his wife and HKSAR government officials, left for Sichuan province on Sunday to discuss arrangements for the delivery of a pair of giant pandas as a gift from the central government.
The pandas are expected to arrive in the special administrative region in two to three months.
Political leaders in the SAR said they hope the country’s national treasure would arrive before National Day on Oct 1, adding extra joy to celebrations commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
During the three-day trip, Lee and his wife, Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, along with other SAR officials, including Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, will visit the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda - one of the country’s major conservation centers of the national treasure.
During the three-day trip, Lee and his wife, Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, along with other SAR officials, including Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, will visit the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda - one of the country’s major conservation centers of the national treasure
They’ll also call on Sichuan provincial leaders and tour other facilities.
In a statement on Friday, Lee thanked Sichuan for attaching importance to making the overall arrangements for the delivery of the pandas to Hong Kong, adding that the SAR government will make sure that the delivery will be smooth.
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Yeung has said the pandas could be in the SAR within two to three months.
He said the quarantine process for the animals alone will take about a month. The pandas’ mental state and physical condition will also be taken into consideration in estimating the time for their arrival.
Yeung suggested that Ocean Park Hong Kong - the city’s home for pandas - should start making preparations in advance, such as learning about the dietary and living habits of the pair of pandas, and how to modify the existing panda enclosure to welcome the new members.
He plans to convey to the mainland authorities his wish for the pandas to breed in Hong Kong, which has yet to succeed in breeding the next generation of pandas - a shared aspiration of many Hong Kong residents.
Lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, who’s also a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, said she hopes and is confident that the pandas can arrive in the SAR ahead of National Day so that they can integrate into Hong Kong life soon.
She said she had visited Ocean Park to understand the preparations being made, adding she believes the park has made thorough preparations and has sufficient capacity to receive the new pandas. She also supports the SAR government in holding activities to encourage local residents to participate in naming the pandas.
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John Lee will end his visit to Sichuan and return to Hong Kong on July 9. His delegation also include Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Mickey Lai Kin-ming and representatives of Ocean Park.
