The central government recently unveiled a nearly $600-billion economic stimulus package that includes supporting housing, healthcare, transportation and other infrastructure projects. A Disney theme park in Shanghai would build on that, Yang said.
"It's one of the most effective ways to stimulate social investment as well as consumption," he said.
Shanghai, China's largest city, has been keenly interested in attracting a Disney park since at least 1990, when its then-mayor, Zhu Rongji, visited Disneyland in Anaheim and had dinner with Frank Wells, the late president of Disney. Zhu later went on to become China's premier and maintained ties with Disney officials.
"As the mayor, he wanted to put Shanghai more on the map," recalled Fred Hong, who as a young Los Angeles lawyer at the time was acting as an intermediary between Shanghai and Disney.
Hong said Zhu knew that the Pudong district would develop -- today it is home to mainland China's financial hub and its tallest building -- but Disney didn't think the city was ready then for a theme park.
"They assessed it was too early for Shanghai," said Hong, whose law office is based in Guangzhou.
For Disney, expanding into mainland China in a big way has been an elusive goal, in large part because of Beijing's restrictive policies toward foreign media and entertainment operations.
The company has long sought to launch a Disney Channel in China, so it could air more programs to a wider number of Chinese households, which would drive sales of its videos and merchandise.
Because China limits the showing of foreign films in theaters, Disney relies on television to introduce new audiences to such classic characters as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, as well as to screen Pixar Animation and Disney films. Such exposure to the Disney pantheon of characters is considered crucial for the success of a theme park.
Media analysts in China, however, doubt that Beijing will give unconditional approval for a Disney Channel in return for the theme park.
"But if ever there was a time, it'd be now," said David Wolf, a Beijing-based industry consultant, referring to the central government's drive to keep the economy growing rapidly to create enough jobs.
Village leaders in Pudong say they have heard from unofficial sources that relocation of residents would begin next June. It wouldn't be until 2012 -- two years after the Shanghai World Expo -- that the park would open, according to state-run media reports.
