The Chinese Foreign Ministry yesterday told the U.S. government not to interfere with a Chinese-controlled company’s bid to buy a California energy giant, triggering objections from American officials and lawmakers who oppose the deal.
The China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) submitted an $18.5 billion offer last week for Unocal Corp., the ninth-largest oil and gas company in the United States.
“If we have a statute on the books, [is the Chinese Foreign Ministry] telling us not to enforce it?” Mr. Mulloy said.
Rep. Joe L. Barton, Texas Republican and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also objected to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman’s comments.
“The Chinese government should divest itself of the shares in CNOOC and conduct free and open elections in China in the next six months — elections where anyone can run and they don’t have to run as a member of the Communist Party. Let’s elect a totally free Chinese government, and let’s have the government divest itself of that stock, and then we’ll talk,” said Mr. Barton, who wrote President Bush last week to express his opposition to CNOOC’s bid.
That’s right, you are lucky we have normal relations with you at all. Can you believe the gall??
Filed under: China
