Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industries has hardened its negotiating position and discussed lowering its original $6bn offer for the embattled Japanese electronics maker Sharp, say people close to the deal.

知情人士表示，台湾鸿海精密(Hon Hai Precision Industries)的谈判立场转向强硬，讨论降低其对夏普(Sharp)这家问题缠身的日本电子产品制造商最初的60亿美元报价。

The sudden gambit, which was described by one insider as coming “straight from the negotiating playbook” of Terry Gou, Hon Hai’s president, represents another twist in a deal that has been stalled almost from the moment it was agreed by Sharp’s board in February.

鸿海精密的这一突然之举，表明在2月得到夏普董事会同意之后几乎立即陷入停滞的这笔收购交易出现了新变数。一名内部人士称，此举突显了鸿海精密首席执行官郭台铭(Terry Gou)的典型谈判策略。

Sharp agreed to a bailout that would involve issuing Y489bn of new stock to Hon Hai, which would give the Taiwanese group that is better known as Foxconn a 66 per cent controlling stake in the company. But progress was suspended within a few hours after Sharp provided its potential rescuer with information on what people familiar with the matter said were Y300bn ($2.7bn) in potential liabilities.

鸿海精密更知名的名称是富士康(Foxconn)。夏普同意了一项救助方案，将向鸿海精密发行4890亿日元的新股，使后者在夏普持有66%的控股股权。但在夏普向潜在拯救者提供了潜在债务信息——知情人士称金额达到3000亿日元（合27亿美元）——数小时后，谈判停滞下来。

Hon Hai’s latest shift of position, which could see the Taiwanese company’s huge cash injection offer lowered by an unknown margin, is said to be based on renewed concerns over Sharp’s financial position and the state of its business during the current quarter.

鸿海精密最近的立场改变——可能导致这家台资公司对夏普注入巨额资金的报价有所降低（幅度未知）——据称是因为对夏普在当前季度的财务状况和业务状态产生了新的担心。

People familiar with the negotiations said that there were now mounting concerns that Sharp could fall badly short of its operating profit forecast of Y10bn for the financial year ending March 31. Some analysts are forecasting that Sharp is on course to post an operating loss of about Y50bn for the period.

知情人士表示，当前鸿海精密日益担心，在截至3月31日的财年里，夏普的表现可能大幅逊于100亿日元的营运利润预测。有些分析师预测，夏普在该财年将录得大约599亿日元的营运亏损。

Even if the offer is not ultimately lowered, talks between the two companies are not expected to reach any conclusion before the end of this month, said people involved in the discussions.

参与谈判的人士表示，即便报价最终未被降低，两家公司之间的谈判在本月底之前预计也不会达成任何协议。

Sharp declined to comment.

夏普拒绝对此置评。