The Chief Executive, John Lee, met with reporters in Sichuan today (July 9). Lee said a pair of giant pandas aged between five and eight have been selected and are now at the Dujiangyan panda base making preparations for their arrival in Hong Kong. The authorities will spare no effort in making preparations for the arrival of the giant pandas in Hong Kong on October 1, Lee added.

In a subsequent meeting with reporters, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, said that the announcement of the Central Government's gift of another pair of giant pandas to the HKSAR has led to heated discussions in the Hong Kong community, and various sectors of the community have put forward a lot of valuable suggestions.

Yeung said that the CSTB has liaised closely with Ocean Park to discuss the future care of the giant pandas.

He mentioned that the Ocean Park team will prepare for the arrival of the two giant pandas in Hong Kong in four ways: firstly, sending caregivers to Sichuan for on-site training and some preliminary work. Secondly, the Park will optimize the existing facilities, such as adding more plants, climbing frames, etc., and will also consider adding photographic equipment in order to share the activities of the giant pandas with the public in real-time in the future; thirdly, the care team will transport bamboo planted in Guangdong Province or the Park to Sichuan before the giant pandas' departure to Hong Kong, so as to enable the two giant pandas to get accustomed to the species of bamboo that they will be feeding on when they arrive in Hong Kong; fourthly, Ocean Park will also support the pandas in their physical examination procedures.