NEC and Lenovo have both attempted to pour cold water on Japanese media claims that they are to merge their respective PC businesses in what would essentially be a Lenovo acquisition of NEC's operation.

Neither firm's terse, hastily released statements said the claim was incorrect, merely that no decision on the matter has yet been reached.

Here's NEC's statement - Lenovo's was all but identical:

"Earlier today, reports concerning NEC's PC business were published within certain media.

"However, no announcement regarding the PC business has been issued by NEC, and no decisions have been made concerning the PC business in these reports."

From that we can take it effectively as read that both companies are at least talking about such a move.

PCs account for about seven per cent of NEC's annual revenue, according to Japanese mewspaper Nikkei, which first made the merger claim, but it is the top-selling in its native land.

Lenovo, which famously acquired IBM's PC business in 2005, is now the fourth largest PC maker in the world - well ahead of NEC - and could use such an acquisition to build its presence in Japan. The purchase wouldn't do Lenovo's global ranking any harm either. ®