By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Shanghai
**The Chinese government has approved plans for the Walt Disney Company to build a theme park in Shanghai, its first in mainland China.**Officials in Shanghai will now be able to proceed with detailed discussions with Disney on how to take the project forward.
The deal represents a significant milestone for Disney in its efforts to get the park built.
Disney has been working on this for more than a decade.
The company had agreed the framework for the deal to build the theme park in Shanghai with the local government here, but it needed Beijing’s approval.
This was the biggest hurdle the company had to clear, so the fact that they have achieved it means the park is all but certain to be built.
A final agreement will not be far off.
Disney hopes to open the new Shanghai Disneyland by 2014.