China plans to unveil a giant panda couple for Taiwan on Friday, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) announced Wednesday in Beijing.

The most matching couple won in a fierce competition against nine other candidates. They interacted well during their "trial marriage", said Cao Qingyao, SFA's spokesman.

"The pandas are aged between one and a half years to four years, and though artificially bred in the center, are fertile" said Cao.

Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, announced last May that the mainland would present a pair of giant pandas to Taiwan as a symbol of peace, unity and friendship.

The panda selection standards included physiology, psychology, behavior, looks, genetics and age, said Zhang Hemin, director of the Wolong center and head of the nine-member expert group in charge of the selection work.

Some leading zoologists from Taiwan have also been invited to Wolong to discuss panda breeding technical issues, said Zhang.

"Under the good care of the Taiwanese compatriots, the giant pandas will surely do well and have descendants," said Zhang.

The number of giant pandas in captivity totaled 183 in the Chinese mainland by the end of 2005, over half of which live in the Wolong center. The number of wild pandas in China is more than 1,590.

The Wolong Nature Reserve, founded in 1963, is the largest panda protection zone in China. Covering 200,000 hectares, the nature reserve is world-renowned as the home for giant pandas.

Source: Xinhua