shanghai:the walt disney co opened its first chinese retail store yesterday, before the launch of its first mainland theme park, as it seeks to sell mickey mouse and friends to the asian giant's middle class
the 860-square-meter store, disney's largest in the world, opened in shanghai, where the park-initially due to open this year but put back untill next spring-is under construction.
the us entertainment titan already has a theme park in hongkong, which opened in 2005.
according to media reports the firm first expressed interest in building one on the mainland in the 1990s. butthe state council, or cabinet, did not approve the project untill 2009 over concerns about the invasion of american culture.