China Wants To Kill BHP Billiton (BHP) Bid For Rio Tinto (RTP)

As a huge consumer of metals, China does not want to see a merger between Rio Tinto (RTP) and BHP Billiton (BHP). The new company might have too much leverage in raising prices.

So, China political machine is working overtime to look at ways to lobby against the deal. And, it has brought in investment bankers to see if there are financial options for keeping the two big miners apart.

According to The Telegraph, "The political and market-led interventions that China is considering include submissions to the UK and Australian competition authorities, a Chinese-backed white knight bid for Rio and a government-backed stake being acquired in Rio to block BHP’s proposal".

China’s sovereign fund has the capital to put money into US companies, so why no buy a piece of Rio?

Douglas A. McIntyre