Chinese Official Positive about New Giant Panda Contract with Japan

   Beijing, April 30 (Jiji Press)--A Chinese government official has shown a positive stance on the possibility of newly lending a giant panda to Japan, as four giant pandas in the country will be transferred to China under the terms of a loan agreement around late June.
   Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Tuesday that Beijing welcomes Japan's continued interest in international cooperation on giant panda conservation and its cooperation with China to protect the species.
   In a press conference, Guo also said that giant pandas in Japan have been loved by Japanese people for a long time.
   Stressing that China and Japan have achieved results in areas such as breeding through cooperation, he said the two countries maintain close communication on the promotion of related cooperation.
   Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party who heads a suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers promoting Japan-China friendship, requested new loans of giant pandas when he held a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday with Zhao Leji, the third-ranking official of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or Chinese parliament.

(2025/04/30-14:36)

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