LONDON, April 8 (Xinhuanet) -- MG Rover, Britain's last independent carmaker, has gone into receivership after rescue talks with a potential Chinese partner failed, the British government said on Thursday.

    The receivership is a form of bankruptcy protection under whicha court-appointed third party takes control of the business.

    "MG Rover has announced that their board has decided to call inthe receivers," Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt told a press conference.

    The carmaker has been struggling to break even since it was sold four years ago by Germany's BMW to four businessmen in central England.

    The government has been making efforts to help the 100-year-oldcompany reach an agreement with China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) before the general election in May to prevent it from collapsing with the loss of several thousand jobs.

    MG Rover and SAIC have been in talks for six months to create ajoint venture that would give SAIC a foothold in Europe and rejuvenate the model range of Rover, but the deal appears to have stalled.

    Earlier Thursday, MG Rover said it had halted production at itsLongbridge plant in Birmingham, central Britain, and called on thegovernment to firm up its offer of a 100 million pound (190 million US dollars) bridging loan to keep the company solvent and assist the proposed deal. Enditem