Is the same situation as the Amphenol case happening again? This time it's Weichai Power, Chinese companies are being "cut off" in Europe!
The Italian luxury yacht manufacturer Ferretti got involved in a corporate governance storm in early spring 2026. This company, which has many luxury yacht brands such as Riva and Barchetti, has long had tense relationships among its major shareholders, which have now become public.
As of January 18, the Czech investment group KKCG Maritime publicly announced that it plans to increase its stake in Ferretti from the current 14.5% to 29.9% through a voluntary partial tender offer. This number is just below the 30% threshold that would trigger a mandatory full tender offer.
The battle for control of Ferretti entered the public stage in January 2026, but the seeds of conflict had already been sown. The tender offer proposed by KKCG Maritime was priced at 3.50 euros per share, representing a 21.3% premium over the stock price before Weichai Group started a series of increased purchases.
The relationship between Weichai Group and Ferretti's management had long been tense. In October 2025, Weichai had internally accused Ferretti's CEO Alberto Galassi of "concentrating control and marginalizing the Chinese representatives within the company."
According to reports at the time, Weichai stated in internal documents that directors associated with Chinese shareholders had been cut off from the company's main operating environment, only able to perform sporadic and superficial tasks in the Milan office.
Earlier in 2024, hidden listening devices were even found in Ferretti's Milan office, which led to an investigation by the Milan prosecutor's office. These events set the stage for the current open battle for control. This struggle for control reminds people of the shocking Amphenol incident in the second half of 2025 that shocked Chinese and European business circles.
Similar to the situation with Ferretti, the struggle for control also originated from external pressure and internal governance challenges. Now, Chinese investments in Europe are frequently encountering the "cutting line." Once a European company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and after Chinese investment and turning it around, Europe begins to seize it greedily.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854906520745996/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.