On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Chinese central government has decided to once again gift the Hong Kong special administrative region a pair of giant pandas, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association on Thursday.

A pair of giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will be relocated to Hong Kong this year. This will be the third pair of giant pandas in Hong Kong.

In 1999, giant pandas An An and Jia Jia arrived at the Hong Kong Ocean Park, marking the beginning of cooperation between the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and the Hong Kong Ocean Park in giant panda conservation research.

The Ocean Park in Hong Kong has advanced international experience and technical expertise in giant panda conservation. Both pandas lived to a ripe old age and were deeply loved by the people of Hong Kong during their stay, deepening the bond between Hong Kong and the mainland, the association said.

The new pair of giant pandas arriving in Hong Kong will further deepen cooperation between the two sides in areas such as giant panda care management, artificial breeding, disease prevention and treatment, conservation research, cultural education, and more. This will help elevate the level of giant panda conservation research and further strengthen communication and ties between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Currently, all preparations are proceeding in an orderly manner, the association said.