Volkswagen (VWAGY) and its Chinese partners have discussed the possibility of investing in plants in Germany, Reuters reports, citing comments

Volkswagen ( OTCPK:VLKAF) ( OTCPK:VWAGY) has discussed with Chinese partners such as SAIC, FAW Group, JAC Motors, and XPeng ( NYSE: XPEV) the possibility of the companies investing in plants in Germany, according to Chief Executive Oliver Blume.

For all its talk of radical change, Volkswagen's cost-cutting deal in Germany relies heavily on the automaker's tradition of cooperation between managers and workers, according to details disclosed by company sources.

The European Union’s largest economy, Germany, is experiencing a deindustrialisation trend due to factors such as high energy costs, unhelpful government policies and investment shortfalls. The country’s fading industrial competitiveness isn’t likely to improve soon,

Chinese officials and automakers are eyeing German factories slated for closure and are particularly interested in Volkswagen's sites , a person with knowledge of Chinese government thinking told Reuters.

A new report claims Chinese carmakers are interested in buying Volkswagen's factories in Germany, but this could be only a pipe dream of a company in distress

Car giant VW to wind down production at 2 factories; China could buy factories for foothold in Germany. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, has built its post-Cold War economy in the same way Germany did post-reunification: with a focus on industry. Manufacturing as a share of GDP has hovered above 20% in the country for the last 30 years, joining Germany in bucking the Western trend of deindustrialization.

VW produces and sells vehicles around the world. Its Germanness is an important selling point, but the company is equally at home in China, Brazil and the US. Its dependence on foreign markets may soon come to bite.

Volkswagen is exploring alternative uses for its Dresden and Osnabrueck factories under a cost-cutting drive to pare back its German operations. Europe's biggest automaker, which owns brands including Porsche, Audi and Skoda, has seen sales fall amid rising competition from Chinese companies.

"It's hard to square the super-tough narrative of having reached a tipping point and going in all guns blazing, with the agreement that came out," said Stephen Reitman, analyst at Bernstein Research who has followed Volkswagen for decades.

Volkswagen is exploring the possibility of sharing its excess production lines in Europe with Chinese EV makers.