Beijing unveiled a giant panda couple as the mainland's goodwill gift to Taiwan on Friday although Taipei has yet to decide whether to accept them.

The announcement of the selection of the two nameless cubs, nearly one and a half years old, was made at a regular press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

They were chosen after a six-month process based on behaviour, looks, genetics and age as well as physical and psychological aspects, the office said.

The pair were selected from among 23 candidates in the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Centre in Sichuan Province, said Cao Qingyao, spokesman for the State Forestry Administration.

Describing the two as "a born couple," Cao believed that they will "surely do well and have descendants on the island."

Dai Xiaofeng, director of the exchange bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office, asked Taiwanese authorities to facilitate the pandas' arrival on the island.

"We hope the couple can meet our Taiwanese compatriots as soon as possible and the Taiwanese authorities follow the wishes of the people and actively co-operate on this issue," Dai told reporters.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, however, hesitated to accept the pandas on Friday and accused Beijing of announcing the selection decision unilaterally.

Li Tao-sheng, an official with the "council of agriculture," reportedly said the mainland cannot unilaterally announce it is sending the pandas to Taiwan as long as his council has not issued a licence based on animal protection laws.

So far, the Taipei Zoo and the Leofoo Village Amusement Park in Hsinchu county have applied to the "council" for licences to house the animals. But no decision has been made.

Beijing made the panda offer as a goodwill gesture last May, but the pro-independence DPP administration has distorted it as the mainland's "united front" strategy.

A national campaign was also launched at Friday's news conference to name the two pandas, currently identified only as number 19 for the male and number 16 for the female.

Residents are asked to send in their proposals for the couple's names, consisting of two Chinese characters, before January 20.

Their names will be picked in a poll among TV viewers on January 28, the eve of the Lunar New Year.

However, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Li Weiyi condemned Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian for his secessionist remarks.

In his New Year's address, Chen used scathing political rhetoric to advocate what he called investment risks on the mainland and Beijing's "military threat" to the island. Chen also repeated a timetable to write a new "constitution" for Taiwan before his second and final term ends in 2008, widely believed to be a push for Taiwan's de jure "independence."

Li said Chen's overture which goes against the common wish of the Taiwanese people for social stability, economic prosperity as well as peaceful and stable cross-Straits ties shows that the risk of the secessionist activities is on the rise in Taiwan.

"Anyone who disregards the people's well-being to sabotage cross-Straits ties will finally damage the interests of Taiwanese compatriots," he said.

(China Daily 01/07/2006 page1)