Xia Yiping, the former CEO of both Jidu Auto and Jiyue, is at the forefront of efforts to bring in Middle Eastern investors to facilitate Jiyue's bankruptcy reorganization, with Baidu expressing its desire to withdraw from the venture. On November 25, Jiyue Auto disclosed that Shanghai Jidu Auto had commenced a pre-reorganization process and would continue its core business operations under the oversight of a provisional administrator. Presently, Jiyue operates with a lean team at reduced capacity, with Xia Yiping dedicating his attention to overseeing the bankruptcy reorganization proceedings. The primary obstacle confronting Jiyue's bankruptcy reorganization is its substantial debt burden, which totals 7 billion yuan. Through the collaborative efforts of relevant authorities, Geely and Baidu, Jiyue's principal creditors, have settled issues concerning unpaid salaries for certain employees, severance packages for laid-off staff, and outstanding payments to select suppliers. Their stances are pivotal to the success of the bankruptcy reorganization. Baidu had previously invested around 8 billion yuan in Jiyue, yet the sales performance has been lackluster. At present, the bankruptcy reorganization process for Jiyue is advancing with relative ease. On December 3, Wuhan Jidu Auto Service Co., Ltd. urged creditors to submit their claims by December 26. However, the process of registering and verifying claims, as well as the voting mechanism for introducing new investors, may present a lengthy ordeal. Nevertheless, in comparison to WM Motor, Jiyue boasts a smaller debt scale and a more straightforward creditor framework, which could potentially accelerate the reorganization process.
