Third in a series
The news that BYD Co., a Chinese car and battery maker, had taken over a factory from Japanese metal die maker Ogihara Corp. in April came as a shock to the domestic auto industry.
For decades, Japanese automakers had believed they enjoyed a competitive edge honed by their superior technology and partnerships with precision parts makers. The takeover by BYD, which was backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, was seen as a sign that Chinese firms had arrived technologically and that China was in fact becoming an economic superpower.