Many local websites start today with the news that Shanghai is moving ahead to get Disneyland to open a park in the city. “Shanghai wants to build a Disney park and has hoped for a longtime to do so. But we can’t be sure when construction work will begin,’’ Shanghai’s mayor Mr Han Zheng said on Tuesday in Beijing. “Shanghai has the right conditions to build a park, and we’re carrying forward all aspects of the preparatory work.” .

But the mayor cannot make a decision on such a big project himself, only China’s State Council can do that. So it might just be part of Shanghai’s lobbying campaign to get approval for the park. Beijing apparently is also interested in a park, and the more publicity for Shanghai the more difficult it will be for Beijing to get into the race.

It is not the first time the building of a Shanghai Disneyland is reported, last year August, just before Hong Kong Disneyland opened its doors, there were also similar rumours. That time the plan was for a 500 hectare park, now the plans are for a 1000 hectare site close to Pudong airport. As a reference, Hong Kong Disneyland is only 126 hectares.