通用汽車堅稱，讓上汽獲得上海通用51%股權的交易是值得的，因為它為中美組建可能有利可圖的合資企業(yè)、以印度為起點向新興市場銷售低成本汽車鋪平了道路。

GM insisted that the deal, which gives SAIC 51 per cent of Shanghai GM, was worth it, since it paved the way for a potentially profitable joint venture between Detroit and Shanghai to sell low-cost vehicles to emerging markets starting with India.

在印度新建6.5億美元的合資企業(yè)后，上汽與通用汽車將在亞洲除日本以外的所有重要市場都擁有合資企業(yè)。外國汽車制造商一般都沒有機會進軍日本市場。

With a new $650m joint venture in India, this would give SAIC-GM joint ventures in all the important Asian markets bar Japan (where foreign carmakers do not normally get much of a look in).

緊接著又有消息稱，另一家中國大型國有汽車制造商——北京汽車工業(yè)控股有限責任公司（BAIC，簡稱北汽控股），已經與中國銀行達成了200億元人民幣（合29億美元）的貸款安排。

Then came news that another big state-owned Chinese carmaker, Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC), had arranged a Rmb20bn ($2.9bn) line of credit with Bank of China.

北汽控股毫不諱言自己對通用汽車旗下薩博品牌的興趣——如果能在年底前找到合適的買家，通用汽車計劃將該品牌售出。

BAIC has made no secret that it is interested in GM’s Saab brand, which the Detroit carmaker plans to sell if it can find a suitable buyer by year end.

北汽控股已經就購買機器生產即將停產的9-5車型與薩博管理層進行了接洽。如果通用汽車準備好將薩博出售給一家中國競爭者的話，北汽控股如今有這個財力。

BAIC, which has already approached Saab’s management about buying machinery to produce its outgoing 9-5 model, now has the money to buy the brand, should GM be ready to sell to a Chinese competitor.

上周早些時候，銀行業(yè)消息人士表示，身為中國最大民營汽車制造商之一的吉利，已為競購沃爾沃安排了10億美元融資。

Earlier in the week, banking sources said Geely, one of China’s largest privately-owned carmakers, had arranged $1bn in finance for its bid for Volvo.

許多汽車市場分析人士仍表示懷疑，對于在美國或歐洲人士的管理下走向失敗的汽車品牌，中國汽車廠商能否讓它們起死回生。

Many car market analysts remain sceptical of whether Chinese carmakers can make a success of distressed brands that failed under US or European management.

一些人質疑這些交易能否最終完成：沃爾沃的出售已拖延數月；而通用汽車上周表示，在由瑞典的科尼賽克牽頭、北汽控股作為少數合作伙伴參與的財團退出競標后，將嘗試再用一周時間尋找買家。

Some question whether the deals will ever get done: the Volvo sale has dragged on for months, and GM said this week it would give its attempt to find a buyer just one more week after a bid led by Sweden’s Koenigsegg that included BAIC as a minority partner fell apart.

迄今已簽署的唯一一筆此類交易，是通用汽車將把旗下的悍馬(Hummer)品牌以大約1.5億美元，出售給重型設備制造商四川騰中(Sichuan Tengzhong)，但這筆交易尚未獲得中國政府的批準。

The only such deal yet signed - in which GM will sell its Hummer unit to the heavy equipment maker, Sichuan Tengzhong for about $150m - has not yet gained Chinese government approval.

然而，上汽與通用汽車達成的向印度銷售廉價汽車和小型商用汽車的交易，可能會有所不同。

But SAIC’s deal with GM to sell cheap cars and mini commercial vehicles to India could be different.

上汽強大的財務實力可能有助于通用汽車在印度市場占據更大市場份額，同時令上汽在全球增長最迅速的汽車市場之一獲得立足點。

It’s strong financial position could help GM take a bigger share of the Indian market, while giving SAIC a foothold in one of the world’s fastest growing car markets.

一位駐上海的汽車業(yè)分析師表示：“這可能是中國一直以來的愿望：忘掉北汽和薩博、吉利和沃爾沃吧，上汽邁出的步伐可能要大得多。”

This could be what China always wanted: forget BAIC and Saab, Geely and Volvo - what SAIC has done is potentially much bigger, said one Shanghai-based car analyst.

中國汽車制造商對全球影響力的爭奪目前仍處于初期階段。

It is still early days in the quest for global power of the Chinese carmaker.

但在外國汽車制造商的中國發(fā)展史上，12月4日起碼可能是意義重大的一天。

But yesterday was a potentially significant day in the story of foreign carmakers in China, at the very least.

對于通用汽車決定放棄一家增長最快的重要合資企業(yè)的控股權，許多分析人士感到困惑不已。

Many analysts were baffled by GM’s decision to give up control of one of fastest growing and important joint ventures.

聚焦亞洲市場的汽車業(yè)分析師邁克-鄧恩表示：“它在放棄寶貴的地盤。在這個行業(yè)，沒有人愿意放棄所有權?！?/span>

"It’s ceding precious ground," says Mike Dunne, a car analyst who focuses on Asian markets. "Nobody in the industry wants to give up ownership".

但英國咨詢公司Intelligence Automotive Asia的董事總經理阿什溫?肖泰(Ashvin Chotai)表示，與上汽在印度展開合作的決定，可能表明了通用汽車對雙方關系的信心。與中國不同，印度不要求外國汽車制造商一定要與當地合作伙伴聯姻。

But Ashvin Chotai, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia, a UK-based consultancy, said that the decision to team up with SAIC in India - which unlike China does not require foreign carmakers to take a local partner - could be interpreted as a sign of GM’s confidence in the two companies’ relationship.

“通用汽車不是非得在印度與上汽合作，但它選擇了這樣做，”他表示。“在沒有任何政府壓力或限制的情況下，它們選擇了與合作伙伴在印度合作?！?/span>

GM doesn’t have to work in India with SAIC, but it has chosen to, he said. "Without any government pressure or restrictions, they’ve chosen to work in India with a partner."

他表示，對于由本土制造商主導的商用汽車市場，兩家公司進軍印度是一項重大進展。

He said that the two companies’ move into India was a significant development for the commercial vehicles market, which is dominated by local producers.