Disney to open Shanghai park after negotiation rollercoaster
Thursday November 05 2009
Walt Disney has been given approval to open a theme park in Shanghai -- allowing the Magic Kingdom to thrive in the Middle Kingdom.
Communist Party mandarins have ended years of negotiations and suspense by allowing Disney to build its first park in mainland China.
The castles of Disneyland will be built on farmland at the edge of a soulless business centre in Shanghai, rising to join countless skyscrapers and apartment blocks, and a sea of offices and shopping malls.
The announcement comes less than two weeks before US President Barack Obama's first official visit to China, beginning in Shanghai on November15. It follows a decade of on-again, off-again negotiations that highlighted the difficulties faced by foreign media companies trying to access China's 1.3 billion population.
The regime has been wary of foreign influence. But rising incomes make such ventures attractive as better-off families look for new entertainment.
Robert Iger, Disney's president, said: "China is one of the most dynamic and important countries, and this marks a very significant milestone for the Walt Disney Company."
State television quoted officials as saying that the park could open in 2014.
Disney has said the park will be a Magic Kingdom with Chinese characteristics -- including Chinese food, a ban on characters wearing green caps (a sign in China of an unfaithful spouse), and feng shui experts making sure everything is positioned to bring good luck and prosperity. (©The Times, London)
- Jane Macartney in Beijing
Irish Independent
