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| (Edificio Espana/File Photo) |
Chinese property giant Wanda Group has rejected the authenticity of a media report about its chairman Wang Jianlin's alleged comments on the Madrid government and said it is "seriously inaccurate".
Global Times reported on Thursday that Wang Jianlin complained about how he was treated by the Madrid government during business negotiations, quoting Wang as saying "they treated me like a dog."
On Thursday morning, Wanda issued a statement refuting the Global Times report, dismissing the existence of the negotiation with the Madrid government and denied that Wang had made such comments. Wanda also said its project in Spain is being re-assessed.
Wanda Group, China's major real estate developer, has been conducting tough negotiations with Spain over its plans to tear down and rebuild Edificio Espana, the landmark in Madrid. But the answer from Madrid’s municipal government is "definitely not", Global Times reports on Thursday.
Local media outlets in Spain reported last week that Wanda has begun to shed employees in charge of the reconstruction project of Edificio Espana, which was acquired by the Group at a cost of EUR265 million in 2014.
But Mayor of Madrid Manuela Carmena immediately denied the rumor and said Wanda is not leaving and the redevelopment of the building is under negotiation.
Both sides are negotiating, we are making efforts to find a feasible solution to give Wanda a guarantee as soon as we possibly can, according to Madrid’s head of urban sustainable development.
Edificio Espana, which occupies an entire city block, is a Madrid landmark in the commercial heart of the capital. Redevelopment must get approval from the government because it is a historic building.
Wanda's plan was initially welcomed by local authorities because it proposed to revitalize the area and generate about 3,400 construction jobs. However, Madrid's new mayor, former judge Manuela Carmena, has started a campaign to scrutinize the approval of big building projects approved during the former conservative administration.
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