Part 2/11:
In 2008, GM was facing severe financial distress, necessitating a $50 billion taxpayer bailout to avoid collapse. The government support, under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), came with strings attached, preventing the company from using the funds to assist its international operations. In a desperate bid for survival, GM turned to the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), thus beginning a partnership that would ultimately embroil GM in a reckless game of corporate chess.