Carlos Ghosn confirms Japanese economic warfare against France
In his first press briefing since his escape from Japan, Carlos Ghosn confirmed that his ordeal arose from a strategy of economic warfare by Japan to weaken French influence in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and regain control over 2 strategic assets: Nissan and Mitsubishi.
Mr Ghosn also confirmed that then-Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron’s passing of the Florange Law together with the imposing of double-voting rights for the French State versus no voting rights for Nissan Motor Corporation was the tipping point, convincing the Japanese that the French were trying to lock them in some sort of capitalistic “Versailles Treaty” that no longer reflected fairly the financial and technological balance of power.
He also acknowledged that he was personnally targeted for being the key to the fragile balance within the Alliance, implying that anyone else in his position would have similarly been the target of Japan’s strategy.
Finally, Mr Ghosn confirmed that the collusion between Nissan, the Japanese justice system and the State was key, but declined to name names of those responsible at the highest levels of the Japanese government so as not to embarass the Lebanese government. He only conceded that he didn’t believe Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to be involved.
Full press briefing here:
Visuals of the first conference I gave on the Carlos Ghosn case, back in April 2019 at Ecole de Guerre Economique, Paris:
Picture credits: Mohamed Azakir / Reuters
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Predictability not being the main characteristic of economic actors, only deep knowledge of history and culture of these actors can lead to quality foreseeing.
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