Haier a suitor for GE division

LG Electronics and China's Haier Group Corp are among the potential suitors for General Electric Co's century-old appliances division, said Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of the US company.

"The players have become very obvious," Immelt said at a breakfast meeting with businessmen in Seoul yesterday. "It's Haier in China, LG in South Korea and so on."

Buying GE's unit would help LG Electronics challenge Whirlpool Corp's lead in appliances worldwide, while a purchase by Haier would give the Chinese company a household name to help drive its US expansion.