BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The German government is prohibiting the planned sale of MAN Energy Solutions' gas turbine business to the Chinese company CSIC Longjiang. Deutsche Presse-Agentur has learned this from government circles. A corresponding decision is to be made in the cabinet on Wednesday. The "Handelsblatt" had previously reported.

The background to this is that the designated buyer, CSIC Longjiang Guanghan Gas Turbine (GHGT), has close ties to the Chinese defense industry and manufactures engines for Chinese destroyers itself. According to Handelsblatt, experts warn that the gas turbine technology from Volkswagen subsidiary MAN could also be used for military purposes. This concerns not only the use in warships, but also in fighter jets and drones.

According to the newspaper, security circles expressed concern about the potential deal, and the German Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense also spoke out against the sale./hoe/sl/DP/he