The competition to buy General Motors Corp.’s (NYSE: GM) Opel and Vauxhall units heated up last Friday as the three primary suitors were reportedly joined by an unidentified Chinese automaker.

Liberty Media Corp. (LCAPA) will acquire two board seats and as much as 40% of Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) in exchange for $530 million in loans.  The deal creates a satellite-media juggernaut combining DirectTV Group Inc. (DTV), the largest satellite-TV provider, and the sole U.S. satellite-radio operator.

The U.S. “Big Three” of General Motors Corp. (GM), Ford Motor Co. (F), and Chrysler Corp. submitted their turnaround plans to Congress yesterday (Tuesday), hoping for approval of a massive loan package they say is central to their survival.