Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan

The idea was first proposed in 2005, but the previous ROC administration in Taipei had initially refused to accept the pandas.

Chen Yunlin, then the head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, announced on May 3, 2005, that Beijing would present two giant pandas to Taipei as part of an exchange program.

The Chinese Wildlife Protection Society then began seeking nominations for the names to be given to the pair of pandas.

An opinion survey in Taiwan conducted by United Daily News in response to the exchange proposal found 50% of respondents in favour of accepting the pandas, and 34% opposed.

However, the exchange proposal soon met political resistance from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

However, commentators generally observed that political considerations underlay the technical decision, with the independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian being opposed to what he saw as a propaganda move by Beijing.

The move was criticized by supporters of Taiwan's independence and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, who said that "Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan means a union, which perfectly matches Beijing's goal of bringing Taiwan into its fold.

The female cub was nicknamed Yuan Zai (also pronounced in Taiwanese Hokkien as Inn-a).