Quote of the Day: Chinese Meritocracy Edition

Getting involved in European companies is likely to bring a complexity of personnel management that will blow their minds.

European auto analyst Graeme Maxton in an Automotive News [sub] report on potential issues with Chinese buyouts of western auto brands. “I’m not sure they can handle a brand like Volvo and turn it around,” adds an anonymous “senior executive working in China with a major U.S. automaker.” To be fair, Maxton concedes that auto-sector mergers are difficult under any circumstances, but that doesn’t stop AN [sub] from trotting out an ominous quote from BAIC chairman Xu Hey, who blames “western discrimination” for China’s trouble wooing established brands.

If we were unable to sail through choppy waters on our own, we still have a chance to get to the other side of the ocean by taking other people’s boats.

Saab’s boat, in this case. Xu’s firm recently bought a minority holding in Koenigsegg Group, which is taking Saab off of GM’s hands. And actually, this approach shows that the Chinese are approaching their brand acquisitions with a little more finesse than the stereotypes (and AN‘s breathless coverage) suggest.

Though bad experiences with Hummer, Ssangyong and ( until recently) Roewe point to possible issues, it’s way too early to write off Chinese stewardship of western auto brands wholesale. American and European OEMs can wail to the heavens about Chinese incompetence, but at least China’s market is growing. Like crazy. If Chinese firms want the brands and they’re paying cash, why refuse to sell them for the patronizing reasons that litter AN‘s analysis?

Meanwhile, where were these people when the Daimler-Chrysler deal was going down?