APCOM

After three months of debates and discussions, the hypothesis of a move of Chinese wholesale activity from Paolo Sarpi street, in the heart of Milano, to Missaglia street, in the Gratosoglio peripheral borough, has faded away. By the end of April the Chinese community should have planned, together with the city council, the agreement signed on February 19th. It didn't happen, so now an alternative and definitive solution must be found quickly, as by autumn, Chinatown will be turned into a limited traffic zone and, next year, into a pedestrian precinct.

The new destination of the Asian Trading Centre will probably Lacchiarella, a town 14 miles south of Milano where a network of Chinese businessmen has already reserved 40,000 square metres at the shopping mall 'Il Girasole', on the border between Lacchiarella and Binasco. 200-300 wholesale dealers would be ready to join the initiative. The change could be made official after today's meeting at Palazzo Marino, headquarters of Milano's city council, during which general Chinese consul Zhang Limin has to explain the intentions of his fellow countrymen.

Meanwhile, Italian residents of Sarpi neighbourhood seem to have lost hope and claim that now it will be almost impossible to convince Chinese traders to go away. On Monday city council's representatives will meet the committee 'ViviSarpi' to present the project concerning the limited traffic zone and its subsequent conversion into a pedestrian precinct by 2009. Besides, the new Plan of territorial government, which is due to replace the former town plan, will introduce some limits as for wholesale trade.