BEIJING, Jan. 17 -- Beijing plans to build a Disney theme park by 2010, which would make it the first mainland Chinese city to compete with Hong Kong Disneyland, the South China Morning Post reports.

    The paper says Beijing's bid suggests Shanghai's plan to set up a similar theme park will be forced off the drawing board.

    In a document presented at Beijing's municipal people's congress, the city's development and reform commission suggested the theme park will be located in the National New Media Base in the southern Daxing district, the report says.

    The Ministry of Technology gave its approval late last year for the development of the National New Media Base, which will be home to up to 10 facilities established by leading entertainment companies, the paper says.

    It says the municipal government expects the National New Media Base to cost CNY10 billion to build and it will start attracting investment from this year.

(Source: China Daiy/Dow Jones)