RHJ to submit new, improved offer for Opel-paper

BERLIN, July 12 (Reuters) - Belgian holding company RHJ International (RHJI.BR: 株価, 企業情報, レポート) is readying an improved offer for General Motors unit Opel which foresees preserving all of its German plants, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Without citing its sources, Germany's Bild am Sonntag said RHJ would require 3.8 billion euros ($5.3 billion) in government guarantees under its new plan and would cut just under 10,000 Opel jobs across Europe.

An RHJ spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the report. The company has yet to confirm or deny ever having bid for Opel.

Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc (MGa.TO: 株価, 企業情報, レポート) is leading contender for Opel after signing a preliminary memorandum of understanding with GM GMGMQ.PK in May.

But the German government, which agreed to supply 1.5 billion euros in bridge financing to Opel while a deal was finalised, has said the race remains wide open.

It has encouraged rival bidders, such as RHJ, China's Beijing Automotive (BAIC) and Italy's Fiat SpA (FIA.MI: 株価, 企業情報, レポート), to come back with improved offers, raising the pressure on Magna.

Reuters obtained a non-binding offer document from BAIC last week in which the group lays out a plan to use Opel's brand and technology to tap the huge Chinese market.

Despite noise from rivals, Magna has pressed ahead with talks on securing a framework deal with GM, which itself emerged from bankruptcy on Friday.