Second park a possibility but no threat to HK project, says company chairman Michael Eisner

Disney might build a theme park on the mainland as well as in Hong Kong, company chief Michael Eisner said yesterday - but he insisted it would be 'distant' from the SAR and would not represent competition.

Mr Eisner, chairman and chief executive officer of Walt Disney, denied mainland media reports that the company planned to open a park in Beijing in time for the 2008 Olympic Games.

However, he admitted it was in constant talks with authorities in Beijing and Shanghai and said a mainland theme park was feasible because of the size of the Chinese market.

Mr Eisner was speaking after attending the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce's 140th anniversary luncheon yesterday, where he spoke about Hong Kong's $22 billion Disneyland project, due for completion in 2005. He arrived in the territory after visiting Beijing and several mainland theme parks with top Disney executives.

The group also visited Ocean Park and the Disneyland reclamation site at Penny's Bay.

'I'm sure some day there will be a possibility to build another Disney theme park [on the mainland] that would be geographically so distant from Hong Kong that they will not compete,' Mr Eisner said. 'There is additional market in China that could support a Disneyland not at all competitive to Hong Kong.'