UPDATE 1-China's Weichai Power eyes Delphi assets - exec
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Reuters U.S. Company News
08:53 a.m. 12/13/2006
By Fang Yan
SHANGHAI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Chinese diesel engine maker Weichai Power Co. Ltd. is interested in buying assets of bankrupt U.S. auto parts maker Delphi Corp. (DPHIQ), Weichai's executive director said on Wednesday.
"We are interested in Delphi's assets as their technologies are the best in the industry," Xu Xinyu told Reuters on the sidelines of a business forum. "We might have some cross-border acquisitions next year."
A deal would give Weichai a foothold in North America, a market many Chinese auto makers and parts suppliers have been eyeing.
But any move by the Chinese company to acquire Delphi's component business could spur opposition from U.S. labour unions and politicians fearful of more job losses and the transfer of technologies to China, analysts say.
In an effort to slash costs and emerge from bankruptcy protection, Delphi, a former General Motors (GM) unit, said earlier this year that it aimed to sell or close by the end of 2007 non-core product lines.
Delphi said these could include brake and chassis systems, cockpits and instrument panels, door modules and latches, and steering and wheel bearings.
Xu did not say which assets his company is particularly interested in.
Hong Kong-listed Weichai, which competes with companies like Cummins Inc. (CMI) to supply engines to the world's second- largest auto market, had in September announced a plan to also list on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, after privatising its unit Torch Automobile Group Co. Ltd.
