. Earth Science News .
Chinese companies mull Rio Tinto options: report

by Staff Writers
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 24, 2007
China has sanctioned state-owned companies to examine three possible strategies to block BHP Billiton's proposed takeover of mining giant Rio Tinto, a report said Monday.

Citing unnamed sources, the South China Morning Post reported strategies include forming a domestic consortium to bid for Rio Tinto, a joint bid by domestic and foreign firms, or purchasing Rio shares on the open market.

"(Companies) have approval from the State Council to go ahead and get actively involved," one source was quoted as saying.

China International Capital Corp (CICC) and Bank of China International have been retained by the government in an overall advisory role, the report said.

Earlier this month, China's largest steel company Baosteel called on the Australian government to intervene and prevent BHP Billiton from taking over rival miner Rio Tinto.

China fears a merger between BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto would lead to further sharp price increases in raw materials, particularly iron ore, which the country desperately needs to fuel its double-digit economic growth.

Sources said Baosteel approached Japan's Nippon Steel and South Korea's Posco Steel about a consortium but nothing came of the effort. The Chinese company has previously denied that it planned to make a bid.

The newspaper also said China's sovereign fund was expected to provide some financing for any mainland bid but would not lead a transaction out of fears of a political backlash.

Rio Tinto last month rejected fellow miner Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton's 142-billion-dollar offer, saying it significantly undervalues the company.

British authorities have set a deadline of February 6 for BHP Billiton, the world's biggest miner, to state whether it still intends to make an offer for Rio Tinto.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Global Trade News



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


EU commissioner warns against buying 'cheap and tacky' toys
Berlin (AFP) Dec 22, 2007
A top European official warned consumers against buying "cheap and tacky" toys this Christmas, and promised new measures next month to make playthings safer, in an interview appearing Sunday.







  • Indonesia's tsunami reconstruction chief lauds progress
  • Sri Lanka's cinnamon farmers seek divine help to spice up trade
  • 16 dead in Tajikistan avalanche
  • Progress solid on Indonesian tsunami reconstruction: donors

  • El Nino Affected By Global Warming
  • Elevated Carbon Dioxide Changes Soil Microbe Mix Below Plants
  • Adapt to climate change, World Bank chief tells developing nations
  • Drought hits over a million people in southern China: report

  • Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract For GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper
  • ASU Researchers Use NASA Satellites To Improve Pollution Modeling
  • Study Shows Urban Sprawl Continues To Gobble Up Land
  • Outside View: Russia's new sats -- Part 2

  • China report says coal to remain top energy source
  • Nanowire battery lasts 10 times longer
  • Commentary: CHIMEA no chimera
  • Analysis: China's fuel oil reserves

  • Sea cucumber protein used to fight malaria
  • Botulism bacteria found in green beans
  • Jordan on alert for bird flu
  • 14 African nations face meningitis epidemic: Red Cross

  • Evolutionary Study Shows Beetles Are Life's 6-Legged Survivors
  • African giraffes highly endangered: study
  • Study: Giraffes are more than one species
  • Model Connects Circuit Theory To Wildlife Corridors

  • Kashmir lake tourist jewel has become 'cesspool': report
  • Indian authorities say probing mysterious fish deaths
  • Biochip Mimics The Body To Reveal Toxicity Of Industrial Compounds
  • Ship with toxic load sinking on China's Yangtze river: official media

  • Evolution Tied To Earth Movement
  • Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition
  • Maternal Grandparents More Involved In The Lives Of Their Grandchildren
  • Researchers Reveal The Biology Of Shivering

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement