Opel stirs takeover speculation from China, Belgium

Speculation swirled around the troubled German automaker Opel on Monday, with conflicting news about an offer by Beijing-based auto group BAIC and a new overture by Belgium-based investor RHJ International.
The German government denied a media report which said Berlin feared a "dangerous dependence" on China if BAIC were to take over Opel.
Mass circulation daily Bild earlier cited an expert government report as saying: "The Chinese government clearly wants to gain access to modern technology."
There is a danger that the German carmaker "could become dangerously dependent on the Chinese state," the report added, according to Bild.
But a spokeswoman for Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg rebutted the report.
"I cannot confirm this. Such a report does not exist," she told a regular news briefing.
In Brussels, RHJI said it was in talks with Opel's parent company General Motors on buying a majority stake in the German auto-maker.
"These discussions have been taking place over a number of weeks and are at an advanced stage," the investment group said in a statement.