In eyeing Jeep, Chinese automaker nods to home-turf issues

Foreign expansion is a way for Great Wall Motor to make up for more regulation, competition in SUVs

Great Wall Motor Co.’s push to go global by acquiring Jeep is being spurred by some tricky realities closer to home, where the Chinese auto maker faces sliding profits, thorny government regulation, and red-hot competition in its core segment.

As the once-freewheeling China market becomes more competitive and growth slows, Great Wall is signaling through its acquisition plans that foreign expansion could soon be the best way to increase profits amid mounting domestic pressures.

Acquiring Jeep wouldn't only give Great Wall a world-leading brand, but it would also provide instant access to foreign markets, including the U.S., where the Chinese