GM says Chinese company bidding for Opel

BEIJING: Chinese automaker Beijing Automotic Industries Corp. has joined the bidding for General Motors Corp.'s German unit, Adam Opel GmbH, a GM spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

BAIC made its bid while Detroit-based GM considers a proposal to sell Opel to Canadian auto part manufacturer Magna, said Maggie He, a spokeswoman for GM China. She said GM would not release details of the BAIC bid.

Phone calls to BAIC spokespeople were not answered. ``It's very common if we get bids from other companies during the process,'' He said.

China's small but ambitious domestic automakers have made a series of foreign acquisitions in an effort to improve their technology and marketing.

Chinese buyers have acquired Britain's Rover and MG brands and one company bought a controlling stake in South Korea's Ssangyong Motor Co. A Chinese company is trying to acquire GM's Hummer unit.

GM says negotiations to sell Opel to Magna are progressing and should soon be complete.