Chinesische Firmen kaufen sich in den USA ein

Größere chinesische Wirtschaftsplayer zeigen verstärktes Interesse an Übernahmen in den USA:

Flush with cash and a strong desire to expand their global reach, Chinese companies have stepped up their shopping spree to acquire U.S. assets, highlighted Tuesday by reports of a possible bid for Unocal Corp. and an offer for Maytag Corp. Mainland Chinese investments in the United States have been relatively small, attracting little attention. But analysts predict that China's growing visibility could spark a backlash reminiscent of anti-Japan sentiments that arose two decades ago, given concerns on Capitol Hill that China represents a serious economic threat and future military challenger. Chinese acquisitions of American strategic assets such as oil reserves will require vetting by the U.S. government and could aggravate tensions in Congress over the bulging U.S. trade deficit with China and that country's reluctance to revalue its currency, analysts say. U.S. firms complain that the Chinese yuan is undervalued by as much as 40%, giving China an unfair trade advantage by making its exports cheaper. "There's going to be a fuss about this in Washington for sure, and I don't think it is a foregone conclusion that Washington would say yes" to a Unocal deal, said Donald Straszheim, chairman of Straszheim Global Advisors, a consulting firm focused on China. "But I see no reason why it's not reasonable to have Chinese companies investing in American companies, just like we're happy to have Russian companies investing here or British companies investing here." ... Also Tuesday, Haier Group, China's largest refrigerator maker, and two U.S. buyout firms offered $1.28 billion for Maytag, topping an earlier bid by Ripplewood Holdings. Maytag's stock rose 86 cents to $16.09. Those possible deals, along with the $1.25-billion purchase in December by China's Lenovo Group Ltd. of IBM Corp.'s personal computer division, are the cutting edge of a new wave of overseas investment involving powerful but little-known Chinese companies. They are seeking to acquire badly needed natural resources or move beyond their low-cost manufacturing base, said Donald Tang, chairman of Bear Stearns Asia. The path is a well-trodden one, used by companies from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to get U.S. toeholds. By purchasing global management expertise, technology, brand-name visibility and marketing networks, Chinese firms can leapfrog competitors, boost profit margins and bolster their attractiveness to consumers and investors