“We would not allow that at all,” the Green politician told Wednesday’s edition of the daily business newspaper Handelsblatt, referring to the Foreign Trade and Payments Act.

The strong position of two major Chinese investors in Mercedes had also caused fears in the past.

If a foreign investor based outside the EU takes control of a German company, the federal government has a veto right under certain conditions.

Almost a fifth of the Stuttgart-based DAX-listed group is already in Chinese hands. The Chinese Mercedes partner BAIC is the largest single shareholder in the carmaker with a share of 9.98%.

The Chinese investor Li Shufu also holds 9.69% through a company.

The sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait also has a thick block of shares with 6.84%.

Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius told the paper when asked if he would have a problem if the two major Chinese shareholders increased their stakes: “That is not the case. We have very good and strong relations with our investors.”

China is the world’s most important sales market for Mercedes cars, he added. “China has grown more than almost any other market in recent years,” Källenius said.

When asked about human rights violations in China, the Mercedes boss said the same standards regarding human rights and working conditions apply everywhere in the group.

“I am convinced: We have a positive influence in our sphere of influence. From a purely economic point of view, it would of course not be the best strategy to artificially hold back in what is currently the largest market,” Källenius said.