Huge business resort gets backing

THE PROMOTERS of a massive business, leisure and residential resort for Chinese nationals - touted as the largest of its kind in Europe - say they have the one thousand million euros needed to go ahead with the scheme.

It is due to be built in La Tova - 20 kilometres inland of Lorca - in the Murcia region.

The ZEIC project includes seven areas. These are a huge logistics and business centre; a theme park showing Chinese culture, traditions and monuments; a leisure area with restaurants, shops, casino, five-star hotel, golf course and theatres; a residential area for employees; a shopping area for companies including offices for professional services; a teaching area for business schools; and a residential area with 1,800 Chinese-style bio-climatic homes.

The ZEIC was presented to the media on Monday in Lorca by mayor Francisco Jódar; the chief executive of promoting company Time Services Global Business S.A, Salvador Alcázar; and the vice-president of Nanjing province, Wang Juanhua.

Sr Alcázar said they already had 90% of the capital to build the scheme.

It comes from Chinese investors, including pharmaceutical, food and renewable energy companies.

"The agreements regarding the financing were signed one month ago and they involve the Chinese government and Chinese investors and companies," he said.

The scheme is supported by the political representatives of the Chinese provinces of Nanjing, Qixia, Luhe District and the vice-president of the ministry for foreign affairs in Hong-Kong, Macao and Taiwan.