Shanghai, China — Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC) and Shanghai Disney Resort have entered into a multi-year strategic alliance, making ICBC the resort’s first corporate alliance participant. The agreement between the resort’s two joint venture owner companies and ICBC was officially signed during a ceremony held earlier today, and was witnessed by stakeholders from ICBC, Shanghai Disney Resort, and from the resort’s shareholders, The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group, and marks a significant milestone in the resort’s pre-opening development.
“Like Disney, ICBC provides high quality customer experiences,” said Shen Liqiang, President of ICBC Shanghai Branch. “We are thrilled to establish our connection with Shanghai Disney Resort in a way that exemplifies our shared passion for excellent service. This agreement is a source of great pride for the ICBC team, and we look forward to working with Shanghai Disney Resort through this strategic alliance to create a myriad of unique products and experiences for guests visiting the resort.”
As the exclusive “Official Retail Bank Participant” of Shanghai Disney Resort, ICBC will provide a number of retail banking products and services to the resort and its guests, from full-service ICBC ATMs located throughout the Resort to commemorative Shanghai Disney Resort coins.
“We are pleased to announce this wonderful partnership with ICBC on an especially important day for Disney, as today is the birthday of our founder, Walt Disney,” said Mike Crawford, General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “Disney is the world leader and most trusted provider of shared travel and leisure experiences, and we are extremely excited about this important agreement with ICBC, the largest bank in the world by market capitalization and one of the most respected brands in China.”
As part of the agreement, ICBC will also have exclusive integrated brand presence in the “Garden of the Twelve Friends.” The Garden of the Twelve Friends will be located inside a beautiful 11-acre green space at the center of the park and in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle, the iconic central attraction of the resort’s theme park. The “Garden of the Twelve Friends” will contain 12 mosaic murals, each depicting the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac using famous Disney characters.
“Our Imagineers here in Shanghai are fast at work designing and developing this unique attraction in Shanghai Disneyland, and this is the perfect symbol of how we are designing with the Chinese guest in mind, but with a link to Disney characters and storytelling,” Crawford added.
