US entertainment giant Walt Disney International said yesterday "in all likelihood" it will not open a theme park in China before 2010, amid worries in Hong Kong that a Chinese rival will hit its own Disney venture.
Disney's head of communications for Asia, Irene Chan, said Disney was focused on making its Hong Kong park, scheduled to open in 2005 or 2006, a success before pursuing further projects in China.
PHOTO: AP
"Of course we have been in discussions with Shanghai and other cities [in China] to study the possibility of a park there, but our immediate focus is on breaking ground -- starting construction -- of our first park in China in Hong Kong in January 2003," she said.
"In all likelihood, a second theme park in ... China will not open before 2010."
Hong Kong's government has already invested US$2.8 billion in what will be only Disney's third park outside the US. The other two are in Japan and France.
The government's investment includes massive related infrastructure projects such as land reclamation and a rail link to the park for which it will receive a 57 percent share in the project.
The future of a deal signed between Disney and the Hong Kong government in late 1999 fell under a shadow in July this year when officials from Shanghai revealed they were holding negotiations with Disney for a similar project.
However, although Disney had previously pledged commitment to make Hong Kong Disneyland its flagship park in China, rumors the entertainment giant was in talks to with Shanghai to build a park, scheduled to open by 2008, have persisted.
A Shanghai park was seen as threatening the success of the Hong Kong's as a key group of potential visitors -- Chinese who are expected to make up at least a third of more than 5 million visitors expected each year -- would find it more convenient to go to Shanghai Disney than Hong Kong.
Simon Clemmell, assistant manager of corporate communications for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the comments were "nothing new" and insisted another park in China would not impact on the success of the one in Hong Kong.
"We have never believed that the construction of another Disney Park on the mainland would have any impact on the one in Hong Kong," Clemmell said.
"It's been known all along that Disney would at some point build another theme park in China. They have said before. However, they have said they would not build another one before the Hong Kong one was up and running, " he said.
"But our catchment area is southern China and South East Asia, including Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, possibly India and even Australia and New Zealand. All of these places don't have a Disney Park and would perhaps be interested in visiting the Hong Kong site.
"Therefore we are not threatened by the prospect of another park in Shanghai or Beijing. The US has more than one Disney Park with no problem -- and China has a bigger population," he said.
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