The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) plans to gift a pair of Formosan sika deer, an endemic Taiwanese sub-species, from the Matsu Islands to China to symbolize the wishes of the Taiwanese people. Named He He and Ping Ping, the deer’s names sound like the word for peace, heping (和平), when combined.
The SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) says SEF is extending this olive branch following China’s military exercise in hopes that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can find common ground and resolve issues peacefully despite historical disagreements. He says he hopes the deer will be welcomed additions to the Fuzhou Zoo for visitors to admire.
Luo adds that there are currently around 200 Formosan sika deer residing on Matsu’s Daqiu Island—otherwise known as the island of Formosan Sika deer. He notes that Matsu is a destination for many Chinese tourists, and says he hopes they can see even more deer as symbols of peace when they visit.
Luo says the coordination and contact with Fuzhou Zoo will be handled through the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).