Car maker Nissan says it is open to sharing factories around the world with its Chinese state-owned partner Dongfeng as it shakes up its business.
The Japanese firm, which employs thousands of people in the UK, told the BBC it could bring Dongfeng "into the Nissan production eco-system globally."
This week, the struggling company said it would lay off 11,000 workers and shut seven factories but did not say where the cuts would be made.
Speaking about Nissan's UK plant on Thursday at a conference organised by the Financial Times, its boss Ivan Espinosa said: "We have announced that we are launching new cars in Sunderland… In the very short term, there's no intention to go around Sunderland."
Nissan's revelation it is willing to strengthen ties with the Chinese firm comes as the UK's trade relationship with China is in the spotlight.
On Wednesday, the UK government moved to rebutt suggestions the tariff agreement it reached with the US last week could be damaging to China.
It said there was "no such thing as a veto on Chinese investment" in the deal.
The UK-US agreement rowed back on big hikes in tariffs on metals and cars imposed by US President Donald Trump, but it also included conditions requiring the UK to "promptly meet" US demands on the "security of the supply chains" of steel and aluminium products exported to America.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said China had "made representations to the UK, asking for clarification".
"China is firmly opposed to any party seeking a deal at the expense of China's interests. Should that situation arise, China will respond as necessary."
