Taiwan premier Liu Chao-shiuan has snubbed a gift of a large black and white wooden panda left outside the gates of Taipei. The panda was a goodwill present from the government in Beijing. Liu said he was suspicious that something like this had been tried before.



Beijing denied any foul play, saying the panda was a gift to Taiwan Province to show the continued progress which has been made in cross-Straits dialog.

Political commentators expressed concern that the panda might contain a battalion of Chinese Red Army troops. When our Shangzilla correspondent approached the panda, she was convinced she heard "Shhhh, shhhh" from inside the panda's belly, but this was explained by a government spokesperson as "the sound of bamboo digesting".