Two giant pandas welcomed to Belgium by Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo

THE Belgium prime minister turned out to meet two giant pandas on loan from China. But the pandas seemed more interested in what he had in his hand.

New friend... Belgium's Prime Minister Elio di Rupo waves a stuffed panda at Hao Hao. Pic

TWO giant pandas, on loan from China for the next 15 years, have arrived in Belgium to an official welcome party led by Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

The pandas, each weighing over 110 kilos, landed around midday on Sunday at Brussels airport after their journey in a pagoda-style cage on-board a cargo plane.

Hao Hao, a four-year-old female whose name means “Friendly”, and Xing Hui (“Shining Star’’), a male of the same age, emerged to find around 100 journalists and dozens of children from a nearby school waiting to greet them.

New friend... Belgium's Prime Minister Elio di Rupo waves a stuffed panda at Hao Hao. Picture: Virginia Mayo/AP

The new arrivals were then given a police escort to the Pairi Daiza zoo in the town of Brugellette, 60kms outside Brussels.

Entry tickets to the zoo were entirely sold out on Sunday, even though zookeepers had warned that Hao Hao and Xing Hui will not be making any public appearances until they have acclimatised and finished a period in quarantine, due to end on April 5.

The zoo has spent some 10 million euros ($14 million) to prepare a vast enclosure for its new stars in its “China Garden”, comprising a pool, cave and bamboo plantation.

Touchdown... The Belgium leader and Hao Hao on the tarmac at Zaventem airport in Brussels. Picture: Virginia Mayo/AP

The Belgian press has also reported that one million euros per year is being paid as “rent” for the pandas, which have been a valuable tool of diplomacy and revenue collection for China over the years.

Giant pandas are an endangered species, with only 1,600 left in the wild in China and 300 in captivity around the world.