Aussie billionaire says plan for new Titanic draws interest

HONG KONG (AP) - The Australian billionaire who is planning to build a high-tech replica of the Titanic at a Chinese shipyard has received an "overwhelming" response from people who want to be the first paying passengers.

Representatives for Mr Clive Palmer, who in April announced a preliminary agreement with state-owned Chinese company CSC Jinling Shipyard to build Titanic II, said on Saturday that his shipping company has received inquiries from people in the United States, Britain, Asia and South America.

Interest has been so strong that "we've probably had half a dozen people already offering more than US$1 million (S$1.2 million) to get on the maiden voyage" slated for 2016, said Mr James McDonald, global marketing director of Blue Star Line.

The strong interest comes even though construction has not even started on the ship. Blue Star officials said they hoped to sign a final contract soon with CSC Jinling, based in Jiangsu province. They would not reveal how much Titanic II is expected to cost.