Archive for ‘Foreign acquisition’

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10/04/2013

* China’s Dalian Wanda Makes a Play for European Movie Theaters

WSJ: “Just months after grabbing a chunk of the U.S. movie-theater market, China’s Dalian Wanda Group Corp. is moving toward becoming a global power in film exhibition, holding talks to purchase a European chain.

The talks follow Wanda’s $2.6 billion purchase last year of the second-largest U.S. chain, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., which has nearly 5,000 screens at 344 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

A Wanda spokesman said the conglomerate has held talks to buy a European chain but declined to provide further details.

People familiar with the situation said the conglomerate has shown interest in at least two of the Continent’s largest chains, Odeon & UCI Cinemas Holdings Ltd. and Vue Entertainment Ltd., both based in the U.K. and with thousands of screens in multiple countries. There are other European chains that Wanda could target as well.

In addition to AMC, Wanda operates 1,000 screens in China, the world’s second-largest movie market, and is aiming to expand to 2,000 by 2015, Chairman Wang Jianlin said last year.

Acquiring a big chain in Europe could make Wanda a major player in both ends of the film business; Mr. Wang has said he wants to invest in making movies in China and elsewhere. Wanda representatives have had talks with Hollywood studios about co-financing a slate of U.S. productions, people close to the discussions said.

Owning European theaters also could give the Chinese company significant leverage when negotiating the terms under which it splits box-office revenue with Hollywood studios.”

via China’s Dalian Wanda Makes a Play for European Movie Theaters – WSJ.com.

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25/03/2013

* China’s Xi tells Africa he seeks relationship of equals

Reuters: “China’s new president told Africans on Monday he wanted a relationship of equals that would help the continent develop, responding to concerns that Beijing is only interested in shipping out its raw materials.

TANZANIA-DAR ES SALAAM-CHINA-XI JINPING-ARRIVAL

On the first stop on an African tour that will include a BRICS summit of major emerging economies, Xi Jinping told Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete that China’s involvement in Africa would help the continent grow richer.

“China sincerely hopes to see faster development in African countries and a better life for African people,” Xi said in a speech laying out China’s policy on Africa, delivered at a conference center in Dar es Salaam built with Chinese money.

Renewing an offer of $20 billion of loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015, Xi pledged to “help African countries turn resource endowment into development strength and achieve independent and sustainable development”.

Africans broadly see China as a healthy counterbalance to Western influence but, as ties mature, there are growing calls from policymakers and economists for a more balanced trade deal.

“China will continue to offer, as always, necessary assistance to Africa with no political strings attached,” Xi said to applause. “We get on well and treat each others as equals.”

But gratitude for that aid is increasingly tinged with resentment about the way Chinese companies operate in Africa where industrial complexes staffed exclusively by Chinese workers have occasionally provoked riots by locals looking for work.

Countering concerns that Africa is not benefitting from developing skills or technology from Chinese investment, Xi said China would train 30,000 African professionals, offer 18,000 scholarships to African students and “increase technology transfer and experience”.”

via China’s Xi tells Africa he seeks relationship of equals | Reuters.

Posted in BRICS, China alert, Construction, Diplomacy, economic inter-dependence, Economics, exports, Foreign acquisition, GeoPolitics, Import, Infrastructure, joint venture, Manufacturing, Natural resources, Politics | Leave a Comment »

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09/02/2013

* China Steps Up Buying in U.S.

WSJ: “The made-in-China label isn’t such a deal breaker anymore.

After being burned by a series of high-profile failures, Chinese companies are learning to navigate the delicate political and regulatory landscape for takeovers in the U.S.

[image]

Major U.S. companies remain essentially unattainable to Chinese buyers. So are many firms that can be tied to national security or critical technologies. Still, Chinese firms are stepping up their investments in the U.S. by targeting smaller companies, going after minority stakes and avoiding the most sensitive acquisition targets.

Wanxiang America, a unit of China’s Wanxiang Group, is paying $257 million to buy A123 Systems, a U.S. government-backed maker of lithium-ion batteries, after an early attempt at a purchase collapsed.

China hasn’t given up on big deals. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., a government group that reviews foreign acquisitions, is expected to decide in coming weeks whether to approve two multibillion-dollar deals by Chinese firms. A Cfius spokeswoman declined to comment.

The deals getting the green light so far are smaller. Last week, U.S. regulators approved the Chinese acquisition of a U.S. battery maker despite political resistance and an initially icy reception. Wanxiang America Corp., a unit of China’s Wanxiang Group, is paying $257 million to buy A123 Systems, AONEQ -3.57% a U.S. government-backed maker of lithium-ion batteries, after an early attempt at a purchase collapsed.

“You just need to understand the rules, follow the rules, be very transparent and let them make the decision,” says Pin Ni, president of Wanxiang America, who started the U.S. offshoot out of a home office in Chicago.

 

[image]Last year, Chinese buyers agreed to spend more than $10 billion in 46 deals to acquire U.S. companies or stakes in U.S. firms, according to Dealogic. The volume was higher than the Chinese total from 2009 through 2011 combined. The tally included the sale of Kansas City, Mo.-based movie-theater chain AMC Entertainment Holdings to Wanda Group for $700 million.

The U.S. still trails Canada, where Chinese firms announced $23 billion worth of deals for Canadian companies or stakes last year. The total includes the pending $15.1 billion acquisition of Canadian oil-sands operator Nexen Inc. NXY.T +1.39% by Cnooc Ltd., 0883.HK -0.13% the Chinese state energy giant.

via China Steps Up Buying in U.S. – WSJ.com.

 

 

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09/12/2012

* Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more

China acquires more natural resources.

Reuters: “Canada approved China’s biggest ever foreign takeover on Friday, a $15.1 billion bid by state-controlled CNOOC Ltd for energy company Nexen Inc., but drew a line in the sand against future buys by state-owned enterprises.

A man walks into the Nexen building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, July 23, 2012. REUTERS/Todd Korol

In a fierce defense of a tough, new foreign investment framework, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada would not deliver control of the oil sands – the world’s third-largest proven reserves of crude – to a foreign government.

The ruling, anxiously awaited by investors and politicians alike, followed months of heated debate about how much of Canada’s energy sector could and should be absorbed by companies run by other nations.

The bid triggered unusually open dissent among legislators in the ruling right-of-center Conservatives, many of whom were particularly nervous about the idea of allowing China to gain control of the oil sands.

Canada said yes to this deal, but will not do so next time.

“To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead,” Harper told reporters after Ottawa gave the deal the green light, along with approval for the less controversial takeover of gas company Progress Energy Resources Corp by another state-owned energy company, Petronas of Malaysia.

“Foreign state control of oil sands development has reached the point at which further such foreign state control would not be of net benefit to Canada,” he added.”

via Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources, oil & gas | 1 Comment »

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09/12/2012

* China’s Wanxiang wins auction for U.S. government-backed A123

Chinese firms continue to acquire foreign firms’ expertise and assets.

Reuters: “China’s largest maker of auto parts won a politically sensitive auction for A123 Systems Inc (AONEQ.PK), a bankrupt maker of batteries for electric cars that was funded partly with U.S. government money, A123’s investment banker said on Saturday.

Battery maker A123 Systems Inc. has struggled for years.

Timothy Pohl of Lazard Freres said Wanxiang Group Corp’s bid of about $260 million topped a joint bid from Johnson Controls Inc (JCI.N) of Milwaukee and Japan’s NEC Corp (6701.T) for the maker of lithium-ion batteries.

Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE) of Germany had also qualified to bid, according to two people familiar with the auction, who asked not to be identified. The auction began on Thursday.

Chinese companies have launched $51.3 billion worth of outbound deals this year, making it Asia’s second-biggest spender on overseas acquisitions behind Japan, according to Thomson Reuters data.

While state-owned oil giants continue to dominate outbound deals, recently Chinese companies have targeted deals aimed at securing technology know-how. That shift is supported by China’s five-year development plan that puts emphasis on industries such as high-end manufacturing equipment.

Earlier this year, Shandong Heavy Industry Group agreed to buy a quarter stake in Germany’s Kion Group KIONG.UL, giving China access to industrial technology from the world’s number two fork lift truck maker.

Before that, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group agreed to buy a majority stake in privately held German machinery manufacturer Schwing, while Sany Heavy Industry (600031.SS) bought rival Putzmeister in a 360 million euro ($472 million) deal.

Wanxiang, one of the largest non-government-owned companies in China, has annual revenue of more than $13 billion and supplies auto parts to many of China’s largest automakers.”

via China’s Wanxiang wins auction for U.S. government-backed A123 | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in Economics, Foreign acquisition, Investment in tangibles, Manufacturing | 1 Comment »

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17/09/2012

* For Beijing, expansion is not a big deal, it’s lots of them

The Times: “China’s slowing economy has failed to dent its global ambitions, with an increasingly hungry dragon scouring the globe for higher-value corporate deals, according to new research.

It made 177 outbound acquisitions worth a combined $63.1 billion last year, five times more than in 2005, the study by Mergermarket and Squire Sanders, the law firm, found. Deals are also growing in value, with the planned $15.1 billion takeover of Nexen, the Canadian oil sands explorer, by the state-owned CNOOC set to be China’s biggest-ever foreign acquisition, if it goes ahead.

Next month China will release its third-quarter GDP data, with some economists suggesting that growth could fall below the 7.6 per cent it brushed in the second quarter, despite assurances from Beijing that the economy would stabilise in the second half.

Natural resources and energy, the sectors most critical to China’s future growth, continue to dominate purchases, accounting for almost one in three M&A targets between 2011 and the year to date. Almost all these buyers are state-owned companies making investments at the behest of the Government.

Mao Tong, a Hong Kong-based partner at Squire Sanders, said: “We are seeing companies becoming more interested in making a strategic play, rather than just adding to their portfolio. These are big deals designed to position them in a global context.

“Even if the Chinese economy slows sharply, I think this will continue for a while. China is still the world’s most important manufacturing base, using huge amounts of iron ore, for example.”

China is eager to deploy its $3 trillion of foreign exchange reserves, mainly held in dollars, to counter the gradual depreciation of the currency and put its national wealth to good use. Yet the number of private sector deals is also expected to increase as the Government encourages state-owned banks to step up lending to the corporate sector.Britain is the favoured destination for Chinese dealmaking in Western Europe, accounting for a third of deals and two thirds of all outbound investment to the region, thanks to its reputation for transparency and a large number of Russian and Central Asian resources companies, Mr Mao suggested.

China has shown an increasing taste for European luxury brands, such as Shandong Heavy Industry’s buyout of the Italian yacht group Ferretti this year. Recent British brands going East include Weetabix, bought by the Shanghai dairy group Bright Food, and the $7.8 billion buyout of Northumbrian Water by Cheung Kong Infrastructure, a Hong Kong group chaired by Li Ka-shing.

The Dragon Index, a quarterly measure of China’s overseas direct investment by the private equity firm A Capital, which was released last week, hit an historic high in the second quarter, with ODI said to grow by 67 per cent between April and June on the previous quarter, to $24 billion.

André Loesekrug-Pietri, founder of A Capital, said: “State-owned enterprises remain the dominant force behind China’s ODI, with 90 per cent of the total deal value in the second quarter 2012.”

European companies accounted for 95 per cent of all non-resources deals in the quarter, the figures suggested. China’s share of US deals has slowed this year, owing to the sensitive political climate before the presidential election.”

via For Beijing, expansion is not a big deal, it’s lots of them | The Times.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

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31/08/2012

* Shandong Heavy seeks stake in Germany’s Kion

China Daily: “Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co Ltd, the Chinese construction machinery producer, is seeking a 25 percent stake in German fork-lift manufacturer Kion Group GmbH, according to a report in German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Wiesbaden-based Kion belonged to industry group Linde AG until 2006 and now is owned by finance houses Goldman Sachs Group Inc and KKR & Co LP.

With an expected price of around 700 million euro ($879m), the transaction would be the biggest investment yet by a Chinese company in Germany, Handelsblatt said.”

via Shandong Heavy seeks stake in Germany’s Kion |Companies |chinadaily.com.cn.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

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10/08/2012

* China Deal to Acquire U.S. Battery Maker A123 is Just the Beginning

WSJ: “As the script now reads, Wanxiang — China’s largest auto parts maker — plays the role of a clever opportunist in the unfolding tragedy of American competitiveness.

Here is an excerpt from the most recent episode:

A leading American maker of batteries for electric vehicles, A123 Systems, secures hundreds of millions of dollars in grants from Washington D.C and the State of Michigan.

A123 Systems, recently offered a $450 lifeline by China’s Wanxiang Group, makes lithium-ion car batteries at this plant in Michigan.

A123 quickly earns awards for both its innovative culture and its technical advances. But before long, the company encounters business difficulties, faces imminent bankruptcy and scrambles for money.

Wanxiang arrives with fistfuls of cash, takes control of A123 and inherits some of the world’s most advanced battery technology. Wanxiang is further encouraged as policy makers in Beijing promise $10,000 rebates to Chinese electric car buyers. The future is bright.

It is fair to say that Wanxiang, a private company based in Zhejiang, has broken no rules. Wanxiang sees a straight-up business deal in which it pays market price for a cash-starved company that is on the verge of failure.

However, what many American taxpayers see is bad business, a sham. And they sense a deeply troubling pattern for the future: America develops technology – subsidized with generous tax dollars – only to see it purloined, borrowed or, in this case, purchased on the cheap by firms from competing nations.

How can America possibly sustain its culture of innovation when assets are so vulnerable to cherry picking by cash-rich Chinese companies? This issue — not last month’s unemployment rate — should be the central issue as the U.S. tries to decide who will be its president for the next four years.”

via China Deal to Acquire U.S. Battery Maker A123 is Just the Beginning – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

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03/08/2012

* China Heads to Soccer Field

WSJ: “Chinese investors will take an undisclosed stake in one of Italy’s most famous soccer teams, and a Chinese construction company intends to erect a stadium for the club, in China’s latest step to raise its profile in Europe.

Europe’s soccer leagues have attracted Asian investors. Diego Milito, right, of Inter Milan in action Thursday.

Internazionale Milano SpA, also known as Inter Milan, said Thursday that a group of Chinese investors plans to buy a stake in the club to become its second-largest shareholder. The company didn’t disclose financial terms or the identities of the buyers.

Inter Milan also said that China Railway 15th Bureau Group Co., a company controlled by listed China Railway Construction Corp., 1186.HK -3.28% will build a stadium for the club that is expected to be completed by 2017. Inter Milan currently shares the San Siro stadium with rival team A.C. Milan, owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

China Railway Construction said in a filing that it isn’t part of the Chinese consortium buying the equity stake. It said its China Railway 15th Bureau unit is in talks with the team over building a soccer stadium and that it will make an announcement when a contract is signed.

The move is the latest by well-funded Asian investors into Europe’s soccer leagues. Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung bought Birmingham City of the U.K.’s Premier League in 2009, and AirAsia Bhd. Chief Executive Tony Fernandes bought the Premier League’s Queens Park Rangers last year.

It also marks China’s latest step to win construction projects in the West, broadening from the country’s sizable role in big-ticket projects in Africa and other parts of the developing world.”

via China Heads to Soccer Field – WSJ.com.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

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01/08/2012

* China approves Hanlong’s $1.3 billion bid for Australia’s Sundance

reuters: “China has approved Hanlong Mining’s long-delayed $1.3 billion takeover bid for Australian iron ore developer Sundance Resources (SDL.AX), a vote of confidence for a sector grappling with falling prices and weak demand as the global economy cools.

Sundance Resources Limited

Sundance Resources Limited (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hanlong, which already owns 17 percent of Sundance, wants the company for its $4.7 billion Mbalam iron ore project on the border of the republics of Congo and Cameroon in western Africa. The region is seen as a major new source of iron ore that could cut China’s dependence on Australia and Brazil.

“We have gotten approval from the National Development and Reform Commission. It was approved yesterday,” a media officer from Hanlong told Reuters on Wednesday.

With the approval from the top economic planner, Hanlong now needs finance from China Development Bank to complete the deal that was agreed a year ago, when the iron ore price outlook was far more positive.

The deal’s lengthy delays had pointed to China’s reluctance to make big bets on risky resources projects offshore amid uncertainty over economic growth at home.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has seen six consecutive quarters of slower growth and commodity stockpiles mushroom, weighing on prices.

Iron ore prices are languishing near their lowest level in more than two and a half years.

Under the agreement, Hanlong must secure China Development Bank’s blessings by Aug 31 to buy the shares it does not already own at A$0.57 per share, valuing the company at A$1.74 billion.

Media reports in Australia on Wednesday said Hanlong had reduced the deal to 50 cents a share and Sundance board was expected to recommend the new offer. It was not immediately clear whether the offer had been cut. A Sundance spokeswoman declined to comment.

Sundance shares last traded at A$0.335 cents, 41 percent below Hanlong’s offer, reflecting concerns the deal would not proceed. The stock was placed on a trading halt on Tuesday.

Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board approved Hanlong’s bid for Sundance in June.”

via China approves Hanlong’s $1.3 billion bid for Australia’s Sundance | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources | 2 Comments »

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