Nissan CEO Ghosn Poised To Give China The Upper Hand By Trading Key Technology For Market Access

Carlos Ghosn has the Wall Street Journal flabbergasted. To the utter dismay of the WSJ, Ghosn said that Nissan is talking to their joint venture partner Dongfeng about transferring lithium-ion battery know-how and other electric-car technology to the joint venture. Even more worrisome to the WSJ is Ghosn’s statement that “there’s no limit to technology we bring to China.”

According to the WSJ, “Ghosn’s remarks on electric vehicles, at a news conference Monday, come amid worries by many foreign auto executives about a ten-year plan China is drafting for the electric-vehicle industry that they fear could compel foreign companies to transfer technology to local joint ventures in a way that might result in their losing control of the technology.”

thstone - 9/22/2010 6:43:26 PM

+3 Boost

I have no doubt that one of China's goals is global economic domination.

Agent009 - 9/23/2010 11:51:23 AM

+1 Boost

Nuclear power in no longer the key to domination. Economic power is. The Japanese have known that for quite sometime.

freeagent - 9/22/2010 8:58:33 PM

+2 Boost

The French surrender? I'm shocked. SHOCKED! THere's gambling going on at this casino

freeagent - 9/22/2010 9:29:24 PM

+1 Boost

huu, as ol' Karl once said himself (rough quote): the capitalists will sell me the rope I need to hang them. This is about what these market access IP terms amount to.

M_Motorsport - 9/22/2010 10:24:03 PM

+1 Boost

China how of the worlds worst cars, and designers who COPY everyone else developed designs.

uaw_lax - 9/23/2010 1:47:58 AM

+1 Boost

China how of the worlds worst cars, and designers who COPY everyone else developed designs......... are learning from the foreign automakers in there (for now) until they can than can compete with the rest of the world and do a wal-mart type practice to get people to buy it.

People like CEO Ghosn wants money today ant is not worried about what tomorrow will bring,

tennis_player - 9/23/2010 1:58:08 AM

+1 Boost

Ghosn is digging tombs for himself and Nissan.

Epik - 9/23/2010 4:49:22 AM

+1 Boost

Is it that hard to believe? China's auto market is going to become huge and the first companies to really invest there will profit. Buick and Audi have had a good start.

mini22 - 9/23/2010 12:56:30 PM

+1 Boost

Bottom line is that if you are going to do business with China,build plants in China etc you have to share your secrets with them or they won't play ball. Most companies find that they really have no choice.China's economy is so large now that you cannot be a major player if you do not do business with China.So what Ghosn has done is totally predictible and probably necessary.