BERLIN, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Volkswagen, along with its Chinese partners, has explored the potential for their investment in German plants, VW Chief Executive Oliver Blume informed Reuters on Tuesday.
Recently, there were reports of Chinese investors looking into purchasing German factories.
"We have strong partnerships in China, and there have been discussions, although no specific decisions have been made," Blume stated in response to a query about the possibility of selling a German factory to a Chinese investor.
Blume made these comments at a conference in Berlin hosted by the German publication Die Welt.
Volkswagen collaborates with three joint venture partners in China - SAIC, FAW, and JAC - and holds a stake in the Chinese EV startup Xpeng, none of which currently operate production facilities in Europe.
As part of efforts to streamline its German operations, Volkswagen is exploring alternative options for its Dresden and Osnabrueck factories under a cost-saving initiative.
The leading automaker in Europe, which encompasses brands like Porsche, Audi, and Skoda, has faced declining sales, partly due to challenges from Chinese automakers.
While executives initially considered shutting down several plants, resistance from labor unions led to a recent agreement to halt production at Dresden, a 340-employee plant producing the electric ID.3, by 2025, and at Osnabrueck, where 2,300 workers manufacture the T-Roc Cabrio, by 2027.
Notably, Chinese automakers have displayed limited public interest in establishing or acquiring plants in Germany, which is renowned for its high energy and labor costs.
Of note, China's largest automaker BYD is constructing a facility in Hungary, and Chery plans to commence production in Spain later this year through a joint venture with Spanish partner Ebro.