The Blowhard
07-19-2002, 04:29 AM
Disney in initial deal to build Shanghai park-newspaper
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, July 19 (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Company has signed a letter of intent with the thriving commercial city of Shanghai to build its third Asian theme park there, the Hong Kong Economic Times reported on Friday.
Citing unidentified sources, the newspaper said details were under discussion and construction of the Shanghai park -- to be built in the city's newly developing Pudong district -- would take less time than Disney's Hong Kong project.
There was no confirmation from Disney and a spokesman for the Shanghai city government declined to comment.
"Right now our priority is to successfully open Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005/06. We have made no definitive decisions or commitments at this time. We have always stated that two parks in China is a possibility in the future," said a Disney spokesman in Burbank, California.
Sources familiar with the project said Disney had yet to decide with local authorities whether it would be in the capital Beijing or Shanghai, China's richest city.
A team from Disney's U.S. headquarters visited China last month, the sources said.
If the Shanghai park goes ahead, it would be Disney's third in Asia, after the planned Hong Kong theme park and Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983.
Former Shanghai mayor Xu Kuangdi said before the Hong Kong deal was signed in 1999 his city would welcome a Disneyland, but current mayor Chen Liangyu has said that incomes in the city would need to rise further before it could support one.
<img src=http://home.ix.netcom.com/~camman/_uimages/Heck.gif>
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, July 19 (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Company has signed a letter of intent with the thriving commercial city of Shanghai to build its third Asian theme park there, the Hong Kong Economic Times reported on Friday.
Citing unidentified sources, the newspaper said details were under discussion and construction of the Shanghai park -- to be built in the city's newly developing Pudong district -- would take less time than Disney's Hong Kong project.
There was no confirmation from Disney and a spokesman for the Shanghai city government declined to comment.
"Right now our priority is to successfully open Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005/06. We have made no definitive decisions or commitments at this time. We have always stated that two parks in China is a possibility in the future," said a Disney spokesman in Burbank, California.
Sources familiar with the project said Disney had yet to decide with local authorities whether it would be in the capital Beijing or Shanghai, China's richest city.
A team from Disney's U.S. headquarters visited China last month, the sources said.
If the Shanghai park goes ahead, it would be Disney's third in Asia, after the planned Hong Kong theme park and Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983.
Former Shanghai mayor Xu Kuangdi said before the Hong Kong deal was signed in 1999 his city would welcome a Disneyland, but current mayor Chen Liangyu has said that incomes in the city would need to rise further before it could support one.
<img src=http://home.ix.netcom.com/~camman/_uimages/Heck.gif>