Samsung has had a tough time breaking into China's car battery market. But it took a step forward at the end of last week, when it bought a Rmb3 billion $450 million stake in electric car-maker BYD.
Samsung Electronics, one of the South Korean conglomerate's listed subsidiaries, was part of a group of six investors to take part in a primary share sale from BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
The investment came after one of Samsung's battery-making subsidiaries, Samsung SDI, was excluded from a list of suppliers approved by the Chinese government for subsidies. LG Chem, which alongside Samsung...