Shanghai January 12 (Gasgoo.com) In response to French accusations that the Chinese government is the major player in the Renault espionage scandal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei denied Chinese involvement, saying that such claims were baseless and irresponsible.
In a press conference held on the 11th, Mr. Hong said that the Chinese government had reviewed the relevant reports, and that it would not accept any allegations that it was involved in the case. The previous day, relevant figures in Renault China responded to reporters' enquiries saying that there was currently no evidence showing Chinese association in the case. The French government has not yet responded to these comments.
Last week, Renault has already dismissed three senior managers because of their involvement in selling company secrets. A few days later, government insiders revealed that, because 15% of Renault's stock is state-owned, French intelligence has already been ordered to investigate whether or not there is Chinese involvement in the case. National newspaper Le Figaro quoted several informed sources asserting that the leaked secrets may finally have been acquired by "Chinese buyers."
Although several in the media have implicated China with the espionage scandal, the French government remains careful. In a press conference held yesterday, French government spokesman Francois Baroin said, "There is no official accusation by France and the French government towards any country today. An inquiry is under way." He gave his sympathies to Renault, saying that the manufacturer "like others, is the victim of a war of economic intelligence."
There has been no shortage of industry espionage cases in France in recent years. In response to media enquiries, Olivier Buquen, an official in the inter-ministerial unit dealing with economic intelligence, said that in the last five years France has seen thousands of industrial espionage cases in every industry. He continued to say that the number of countries implicated in stealing secrets has also increased, and that France is considering whether or not to draw up legislation to protect industry secrets.
According to reports, the leaked information is related to battery and engine components of an electric vehicle project Renault is undertaking in partnership with Nissan. Furthermore, the carmakers do not have exclusive rights to the aforementioned battery technology as of yet. There has been approximately 4 billion euros ($5.18 billion) invested in the project. Renault plans to release four new energy automobiles within the next two years. The carmaker stated that, although information regarding the project's costs and business model has been leaked, the core technology, including 200 exclusive patents, still remains a secret. Renault has no plans to halt electric vehicle production.
