Disney plans to build £2.4bn theme park on Chinese mainland

Walt Disney is to submit plans for its first theme park on the Chinese mainland.

The entertainment giant said it is hoping to build a $3.6bn (£2.4bn) park on the outskirts of Shanghai by as early as 2014.

The scheme, which is a joint project with the Shanghai municipal government, would be the firm's fourth theme park outside the US.

If it gets the go-ahead, the first phase would include a theme park, hotel and retail area on a site near the city's Pudong airport.

A joint planning application from the local government and Disney will be put forward for consideration by central government, a spokeswoman for the US firm said.