Judging from the quality of the toys they make I think I will take a pass on going into this place if I ever make it over there

Shanghai's bristling skyline gets giant new landmark

SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- After a more than a decade of delays, China's tallest building is slicing through Shanghai's hazy, skyscraper-studded skyline -- a new trophy built by a Japanese property tycoon.

The 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center, a 1,614 foot wedge-shaped tower with a rectangular hole at the very top, was topped out on Friday as its last beam was laid amid a drizzle that obscured the building's panoramic view of endless high rises.

In a city whose skyline evinces the belief "the taller the better," the building is bound to be a major tourist destination and landmark.

With China's economy growing nearly 12 percent a year and stock and real estate prices soaring, "the timing is just about the best it could be," said the builder, Minoru Mori.

"When I saw the building this morning, at its full height, I thought it's really beautiful. I think we've really succeeded," Mori told reporters at Shanghai's Jinmao Tower, a silver spire next door to the World Financial Center that at 1,381 feet was China's tallest building until now.