Geely to talk with Ford about Volvo in Sweden

• Source: Global Times
• [11:24 November 19 2009]
• Comments

The management team of Chinese automaker Geely Holding Group will meet with Ford and Volvo executives, Volvo unions and Swedish government officials in Sweden this week in its bid for Volvo, a Europe-based spokesman for Geely said.

Geely Chairman Li Shufu will attend the meeting to discuss the company's proposal for Ford's Volvo brand. One of the discussions will be the transfer of Volvo's intellectual property rights.

Union leaders will press Geely to disclose its financial backers, though the company has declined to talk about it it.

"As long as the Chinese government views Geely favorably, things may be rosy," Glenn Magnusson, head of the Ledarna union that represents Volvo managers, said Wednesday in an interview. "But the day that's no longer the case, what happens to us then? We're going to ask that type of question."

Last month, the Chinese automaker was named by Ford as a preferred bidder for its money-losing Volvo.

Agencies and Shi Jierui contributed to this story