Security fund scandal 'not yet over'
By Wang Zhenghua (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-07 07:16

The social security fund scandal that toppled Shanghai's most powerful ex-official has yet to conclude despite those involved having been brought to justice, Yu Zhengsheng, the city's Party chief, said yesterday.

The scandal led to the sacking and arrest of former Party chief Chen Liangyu on charges of misusing 3.4 billion yuan ($480 million) of public money, and the downfall of a long list of other officials and businessmen.

"It's too early to say the case has been concluded as Chen's trial is still pending," Yu said at a Q&A session during the ongoing NPC session.

"Those Shanghai cadres who were involved have been handed over to law enforcement agencies, but following up on all the evidence (of the involvement of other corrupt officials) will take time," he said.

The scandal brought down a number of the city's big names, including Yu Zhifei, the former head of Formula 1 racing in China; Ling Baoheng, former director of the Shanghai municipal State-owned assets supervision and administration commission; and Qin Yu, former chief of the city's Baoshan district.

Chen, who was implicated in 2006, when plans for a Shanghai Disneyland were suspended, was the highest-ranking official to be dismissed in a decade.

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, however, said yesterday the Disneyland project was still alive and that city authorities had briefed the National Reform and Development Commission on its development.

The preferred location for the park is the Pudong New Area, he said.

"Any large-scale project of this kind has to receive central government approval, and Shanghai will surely abide by the central government's decision," Han said.

His remarks ended the long-running speculation on whether Shanghai would opt for such a park, even though the central government has yet to decide on the project.

"So far we have not received any notice of approval," Han said.

Walt Disney Co signed a statement of intent to build a theme park on the mainland in 2002, and then set up a venture with Shanghai's Lujiazui Group to develop the site, which will be more than four-and-a-half times the size of Hong Kong's Disneyland attraction.

Several Shanghai district authorities pitched to host the theme park, but city authorities reportedly decided on a compromise to build it in both Chuansha and Nanhui.

There were fears in some quarters that a third Disneyland in Asia, especially in Shanghai, would be damaging to the Hong Kong attraction.

Hong Kong Disneyland, the second magic kingdom in Asia after Japan, has struggled since opening in 2005, falling well short of its attendance targets.

The park saw its annual visitor numbers fall 20 percent to 4 million in just its second year of operation.

(China Daily 03/07/2008 page5)