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☆ Royal Mail owner IDS set to agree $4.4 bln Kretinsky takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

IDS owns UK's Royal Mail, which is loss making, and international parcels network GLS. Royal Mail was privatised in 2013 in one of Britain's biggest state sell-offs in decades. It is expected the commitment to offer these contractual undertakings to the British government would be reflected in the cooperation agreement between the parties if a firm offer is made, it added. EP Group now has until May 29 to make a formal offer or walk away. EP is a 100% shareholder in VESA Equity investment which owns Kretinsky's IDS stake of nearly 28%.

Persons: Daniel Kretinsky, Keith Williams Organizations: International, Services, IDS, Royal Mail, UK's, Royal, National Security and Investment, Reuters, Equity Locations: Czech, London, Britain, British

☆ Britain hopes to attract investment from Chinese carmakers - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Nissan Motor Co Ltd FollowHAMPTON COURT, England, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Britain's investment minister on Monday said he was working to attract Chinese car manufacturers to build a factory in the country and that investment from China was crucial to meeting environmental targets. At a foreign direct investment summit at Hampton Court Palace on Monday, British investment minister Dominic Johnson said commercial talks could run in parallel with political disagreements. "Chinese investment is crucial if we're to achieve our net zero goals ... "Absolutely, I have an ambition to try and attract a Chinese car manufacturer." Britain is re-examining the application of its recently introduced National Security and Investment (NSI) Act that has disproportionately blocked Chinese-backed deals.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Rishi Sunak's, David Cameron, Cameron, Sunak, Dominic Johnson, we're, Johnson, carmakers, Alistair Smout, Alex Richardson Organizations: China, Financial, Bank of China, REUTERS, Nissan Motor, Conservative Party, National Security and Investment, Tata, Nissan, European Union, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HAMPTON, England, Hampton, Britain

☆ UK takeover net gets only slightly less bothersome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gestures during an in-conversation event with Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rishi Sunak’s latest policy target is his own government’s M&A rules. The UK prime minister is consulting on changes to the framework for assessing when to block takeovers on national security grounds. The National Security and Investment Act gave the government power to “call in” and impose changes or block deals in specific sectors, such as defence. Moreover, stakeholders can only know whether a deal aligns with state industrial objectives if the UK has clearly understandable sector strategies in the first place.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Tesla, Elon Musk, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Sunak’s, It’s, Neil Unmack, Cameron, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: British, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, National Security and Investment, X, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, ”, China

☆ Britain may designate genomics sector as critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London, Britain, July 12, 2023. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Britain is exploring designating its genomics sector as critical national infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday, amid pressure from lawmakers concerned at China's activity in the field. Asked by one of those lawmakers if Britain would designate the genomics sector as critical national infrastructure, Dowden said it was a legitimate point which he was considering. "It's not currently designated as such, but in my role in the cabinet office, I keep the register of critical national infrastructure under review, and it's something which I am exploring," he told lawmakers. Critical national infrastructure (CNI) is infrastructure that, if compromised, could have a major detrimental impact on essential services or a significant impact on national security.

Persons: Oliver Dowden, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Dowden, It's, Alistair Smout, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ China opposes UK's 'discriminatory actions' against China-linked deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - China firmly opposes what it called the British government's "discriminatory actions" against Chinese firms, the country's embassy in the UK said after London intervened in Chinese-linked takeovers eight times in the last year. The British government said in a report that it had blocked or imposed conditions on eight transactions involving China-linked investment in domestic companies under its National Security and Investment Act in the last year. "We strongly urge the British side to stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for them," the Chinese embassy in London said on Wednesday. In November Britain ordered Chinese-owned technology company Nexperia to sell at least 86% of Britain's biggest microchip factory, Newport Wafer Fab, following a national security assessment under the law. Britain is attempting something of a reset of relations with China, working together on areas of agreement while balancing national security concerns.

Persons: Ella Cao, Ethan Wang, Bernard Orr, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton Organizations: London, National Security and Investment, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, LONDON, China, London, Britain, Newport, Beijing

☆ China-bashing throws Vodafone a curveball
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone's (VOD.L) M&A ambitions in Britain are falling prey to anti-China rhetoric. Parliamentarians are also fretting over the security impact on contracts with government departments once the deal goes through. Vodafone may face similar scrutiny, leading to inevitable delays. The fact that CK Hutchison has retained the right to appoint the chief financial officer may be a red flag. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: CK Hutchison's, Li Ka, Franco, Patrick Drahi, Hakan Koc, Pyrros Koussios, Roman Abramovich, CK Hutchison, Pamela Barbaglia, Aston Martin, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, HK, Vodafone, BT, UK's National Security and Investment Act, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Hong Kong, Canada

☆ Vodafone and Three merger faces scrutiny from competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The $19 billion tie-up will be scrutinised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust regulator which made global headlines in April when it blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. The long-awaited mobile deal reduces the number of networks from four to three, challenging a tenet long held by regulators that four help to keep prices low in major markets. "The government's desire to make the UK a 5G powerhouse requires a lot of investment," he said. One London-based investment banker, who declined to be named, said he put the chance of the deal receiving the green light from regulators at 50%. A major telecoms investor said the deal could be approved, but only with strong remedies, and that could risk undermining its rationale.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Activision Blizzard, Hutchison, Paolo Pescatore, Peter Broadhurst, Moring, James Gray, Sarah Cardell, Robert Finnegan, Gray, Paul Sandle, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Hutchison, O2, Vodafone, CK, HK, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, Ofcom, European Commission, Foresight, Hutchison's, UK plc, Victoria, Crowell, CMA, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Britain's, Tesco Mobile, Telefonica, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Britain, Europe, China, London, Germany

☆ Nexperia and Elmos cases show how the US-China chip war is spilling over to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Last week, the new owner of Britain’s biggest chipmaker was ordered to unwind its takeover, just days after another chip factory sale was blocked in Germany. “These decisions mark a shift towards tougher stances regarding Chinese investment in critical industries in Europe,” said Xiaomeng Lu, director of geo‑technology at Eurasia Group. A worker in a clean room for silicon semiconductor wafer manufacturing at the Newport Wafer Fab, owned by Nexperia, in Newport, Wales on Aug. 18. A company sign of Elmos Semiconductor, seen on Nov. 9 in the German city of Dortmund. Both Britain and Germany have recently added rules that expand government oversight over such decisions, making outcomes harder to predict.

☆ UK will not take action over Czech mogul's plan to raise Royal Mail stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain is no longer intervening in Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's plan to increase his stake in Royal Mail parent International Distributions Services (IDSI.L), sending the company's shares up more than 7% on Monday. In August, Royal Mail said it had been notified by then business minister Kwasi Kwarteng that he was exercising powers to look into proposals by Kretinsky's vehicle, Vesa Equity Investment, under the National Security and Investment Act. The Royal Mail review came days after the government decided not to take action over billionaire Patrick Drahi's stake in telecoms firm BT (BT.L). Vesa, Royal Mail's biggest shareholder which is ultimately controlled by Kretinsky and his business partner Patrik Tkac, in August said it had voluntarily contacted the government to inform them of its intention to increase its stake in Royal Mail, which is currently just over 22%. "Vesa Equity Investment welcomes the decision ... and reiterate our commitment to continuing long term investment presence in the U.K., including our partnership with Royal Mail," a spokesperson said.

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