04/16/2018
Li Shufu’s major shareholder Geely wants to push Daimler into alliance
AP / Song fan – Imaginechina
Is convinced of the value of further cooperation: Geely-chef and Daimler major shareholders Li Shufu
One can not say that Dieter Zetsche had just received his new major shareholder Geely with open arms. More professional and cool, the Stuttgart responded to the fact that Geely CEO Li Shufu had bought together 10 percent of Daimler shares.
For quite some time, the Chinese billionaire has been trying to shake up the European auto industry. The entry in 2011 in the flagging carmaker Volvo scoffed at the competitors initially, but had to quickly establish that Shufu led the acquisition to a success. Shufu is also involved in the Swedish truck farmer of the same name, the Malaysian manufacturer Proton, the start-up for flying vehicles Terrafugia and the manufacturer of the traditional black London taxis.
“Numerous acquisitions” offer considerable opportunities for technology, lower costs and new markets, Shufu is convinced. Will the all-rounder now also push Daimler into a deepened alliance? It almost seems like that.
“We have to actively explore the possibility of extensive alliances instead of depriving ourselves of reality and poking our heads in the sand,” Li writes a contribution for the “FAZ” (fee-based) and calls for partnerships to be explored: “If a potential partnership meets the requirements of laws and regulations, any bilateral and multilateral cooperation can and should be discussed for mutual benefit.”
Traditional car makers needed a self-awareness, it says a bit missionary in the post. “Those willing to band together to forge proprietary digital platforms that can be shared by their various brands will be a recipe for success as our industry is increasingly fought over.”
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