Russian aircraft carrier auctioned off

(22 Mar 2006)
1. Wide shot, "Minsk" aircraft carrier
2. A Mig-23 aircraft on board
3. Name "Minsk" on ship
4. Interior, auction room
5. Cutaway to media
6. Pan from auctioneer to bidders
7. Cutaway, cameras
8. Cutaway, bidders
9. Close shot, bidder's identification number
10. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Luo Yuen-Qing, Auctioneer:
"There's no transaction. Because no-one bid in the auction this auction has failed. The auction is finished."
11. Wide of auction
12. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Mr Wang, Bidder:
" I think this is a very good project. It is our honour (that the aircraft carrier) continues to stay in Shenzhen."
13. Auctioneer being interviewed by media
14. Panning shot, Minsk Aircraft Carrier
17. Tourists taking photos next to helicopter
18. Tourist taking pictures with camera
19. Pan left Mig-24 helicopter to a helicopter window with bullet trace
21. Control room
22. Close up of radar
23. Pan from ship to missile
25. Tourists on ship
26. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Chen Men-Guang, Tourist:
"I will come back. Modernisation of our national defence is very important."
27. Missile storage room
28. Tourist looking at missiles
29. Tourists looking at photos on wall
30. Thermal Torpedo
31. Wide shot, "Minsk" aircraft carrier
STORYLINE:
The auction of an ex-Soviet aircraft carrier based in China failed to find a new owner on Wednesday, with bids even failing to reach the reserve price set at 128 million yuan - equivalent to 15.9 (m) million US dollars or euro13.4 (m) million.
Auctioneer Luo Yuen-Qing of the Guangdong Xutongda Auction Company announced the auction had "failed" but, refused to say whether owners Minsk World Industries would attempt to sell it again.
The Minsk carrier was built in 1972, put into service six years later, and retired in the early 1990s.
It was then sold for scrap to a company in South Korea before ending up with Minsk World Industries Co. Ltd. in 1998.
The 43-thousand-ton Kiev-class vessel's appearance in Shenzhen triggered speculation over China's ambitions to acquire an aircraft carrier to extend its military reach.
Minsk World Industries spent 16 months and a "huge" amount of money to turn it into a tourist attraction.
A local court declared Minsk World Industries bankrupt last year after it failed to pay off its debts to Chinese banks.
But the ship has remained open for business, and drew 33-thousand visitors in seven days during the recent Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, according to the Xinhua news agency.
One of the bidders who identified his surname as Wang said the Minsk military theme park is a very good project and "it is an honour that the ship to continue to stay in Shenzhen".
One tourist thought the park good for military education; "I will come back. Modernisation of national defence is very important", he said
Chinese state news agency Xinhua said many Shenzhen residents hope the aircraft carrier will remain there as a tourist attraction, providing competition with neighbouring Hong Kong.
Keyword- aviation

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