Name: SCMP
Telephone: +852-2680-8888

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse in Paris

The board of struggling French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen has in principle approved capital boosts by the French state and its Chinese partner Dongfeng Motor, two people close to the matter said on Sunday.
The investors will inject a total of 3 billion euros (HK$31.4 billion) into the company under terms yet to be defined, one of the sources said after a meeting of Peugeot’s board.
Europe’s second-largest carmaker has been looking to shore up its finances and secure a stronger beachhead in China, the world’s top car market, since the slump in European auto sales forced it to seek a state bailout for its finance arm in 2012.
PSA reportedly hopes to be able to present the outline of a deal with Chinese state-owned carmaker Dongfeng and the French state to investors when it discloses its annual results on February 19.
The French carmaker hopes the deal will be sealed before a visit by the Chinese president to France planned for the second quarter of this year.
The deal in principle was thrashed out over four hours of talks and would herald a dilution of the Peugeot family’s role in the company.
Thierry Peugeot could lose his seat as chairman of the carmaker’s supervisory board, the weekly Journal du Dimanche suggested.
French Economy Minister Pierre Moscovici told Radio J on Sunday that the French state would ensure that PSA “remains a major French manufacturer”.
Industrial Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg also insisted that “PSA will remain French”.
France is attempting to bolster its trade and investment ties to China, which have lagged behind those of its main European partners.
Both President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault have visited China since their Socialist Party came to power in 2012.
US company General Motors sold off its 7 per cent stake in PSA last month, saying the French carmaker no longer needed its support, although their alliance in Europe is set to continue.
Last month, Dongfeng signed a US$1.3 billion joint venture agreement with Renault that will give PSA’s French rival a manufacturing presence in China after a decade of not assembling vehicles there.


Peugeot board okays capital injections by French state and China's Dongfeng Motor

A Dongfeng-Peugeot joint venture builds the French carmaker's models in China. Photo: AFP

Renault seals US$1.3b deal with Dongfeng

Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn (left) and his Dongfeng counterpart, Xu Ping, close the venture deal in Wuhan yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Peugeot seeking new chief in deal with Dongfeng

Philippe Varin is stepping aside as chief executive of Peugeot.

Dongfeng upsets Peugeot cash call

Peugeot said Dongfeng was more interested in expanding an existing industrial venture than buying a stake in the company. Photo: Bloomberg

Peugeot opens third plant in China

Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen's mainland sales surged 33 per cent to 276,896 units during the first half of the year. Photo: EPA

Business

Companies