AEROSPACE & DEFENSE

McDonnell Reportedly Trying to Salvage Deal: Two McDonnell Douglas executives were reportedly in Taiwan to try to salvage a deal with Taiwan Aerospace Corp. Gareth Chang, McDonnell’s vice president in charge of Asia/Pacific operations, and another executive were to meet with government and Taiwan Aerospace officials, the Economic Daily News reported. McDonnell Douglas had no comment, and Taiwan Aerospace officials couldn’t be reached. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding last November for Taiwan Aerospace to pay up to $2 billion for as much as 40% of McDonnell’s Long Beach-based Douglas Aircraft unit in a partnership to build the proposed MD-12 jetliner. However, Taiwan Aerospace last month unveiled a proposal under which Taiwanese investors would delay acquiring a sizable stake in McDonnell for up to two years. That put the deal in doubt.