France's struggling factories need investment. Is China the answer?
series of reports examining ties between the two powers, looks into attitudes towards Chinese investment in France.
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Born and raised in the central French town of Châteauroux, Laurent Joly has spent his entire life working in local factories.
Throughout his 38-year career, Joly likely never thought that one day China would have a significant impact on his life, let alone that his job would be saved by a Chinese company.
But that is precisely what happened when Joly's employer – the French automotive supplier Groupe Mécanique Découpage (GMD) – was acquired by the Suzhou-based Dongshan Precision Manufacturing (DSBJ) in May.
The deal will allow the struggling French industrial group to keep the lights on at its 15 factories, with DSBJ pledging not to make any job cuts for a year and to maintain at least 80 per cent of the company's 1,800-strong workforce the year after, according to Joly.
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