Nissan Motor Co. asked the Japanese government for help in fending off a proposal to merge with Renault SA, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The request by the Japanese automaker was made months before the arrest of former Nissan and Renault Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan in November, the paper said. The unusual request for government help “indicated the level of pressure that Nissan executives sensed coming from the French side” to merge, the paper said. In response to the request, the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry drafted an agreement that would allow it to oversee talks between Nissan and Renault, a role Nissan considered invasive, the paper said. Some senior Nissan officials discussed whether the draft accord promised the Japanese government too much involvement in Nissan’s internal affairs, according to the paper.

Source: Wall Street Journal February 16, 2019 12:45 UTC