We heard it may be coming, now it looks like it's almost official. I wonder if DCX hoping that if these partnerships grow, Chery may be interested in purchasing Chrysler from Daimler?

DaimlerChrysler Supervisory Board Approves Small-Car Agreement

Auburn Hills, Mich./Stuttgart, Germany - The DaimlerChrysler

Supervisory Board today approved the framework of a limited

partnership to develop small vehicles between the Chrysler Group and

Chery Motor Company of China. The deal is still contingent upon

approval by the Chinese government, but the final pact of the

framework is expected to be signed by the end of March. Under the

non-equity partnership, Chery-built vehicles will be distributed

under Chrysler brands, primarily in North America and Western

Europe.

Chrysler Group indicated that the partnership would allow the

company to become a bigger player on the global automotive stage

by giving it access to products in new segments more quickly,

with less capital spending.

Small vehicles such as these will allow Chrysler Group brands to

compete in segments in which the brands do not currently

compete, and which are especially important in price- and fuel-economy

sensitive markets. Some 67 percent of all vehicles sold outside

of North America are in these segments. Chrysler Group's major

competitors in the U.S. and Western Europe have similar

arrangements with Asian manufacturers for vehicles in these segments.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../702270350/1148

Never in the history of mankind has a society ever acted in such a self-destructive way as we in the West have in the past 60 or so years. I cannot understand why all the multi-nationals are in such a hurry to sign these partnerships with China, forge alliances and simply hand over all the technology and know-how that we have gleaned, knowing full-well that when they are ready they will simply dump the same products at half the price on our shores. They do not follow the same rules as us; in fact, they just barely follow the rules as to not totally annoy the WTO.

We in North America had better discover the next big wave soon because the tech boom is waning (and all those production jobs are in Asia anyway), the industrial boom is all but dead (GM, Ford, steel manufacturers, etc.) - I mean, how many sales clerks, bankers and lawyers do we need to employ 300 million people?

Oh, that's right: we can all go work for the forest and mining business because the Chinese need our raw materials to make the products that they then dump on us.

because when China decides to dump the stuff on our shores, the guys making decisions will take their recently cashed in stock options and golden parachutes and retire to some nice island far away, leaving us to be fubar'd

I officially hate Germany, namely Mercedes. I've always liked BMW over them, but I'm making a vow right now that I will never buy a Mercedes or a Chinese car. EVER

It'll be totally funny because I know that the Chinese cars will have better interiors than other comparable vehicles from Chrysler.

...not as if the bar is set that high...

Would you really rather have a Reliant?