Planned acquisition of the British bankrupt carmaker Rover by its Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., the last way to rescue the company, was never mentioned by the Chinese carmaker, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"SAIC has been talking with MG Rover since last year about funding a joint venture in Great Britain," SAIC spokesman was cited as saying. The company "never mentioned buying the company," he added.

Rover, the last major British-owned carmaker with 6,000 employees at its main plant at Longbridge in Birmingham, central England, collapsed on Friday after China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) refused to sign a rescue deal with the bankrupt company. British government refused to fund the company until it gets the approval of the deal with Chinese carmaker but on Monday said it would provide a £6.5 million ($12.2 million) loan to the company.

The British government agreed to fund Rover after the Sunday talks between Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, trade unions and government officials.