Mega Sino-Chinese marriage in high-speed rail

CNR and CSR, the two largest Chinese manufacturing companies of high-speed trains (TGV) have announced their upcoming merger, the 9^th of March 2015. This marriage will calm internal competition and allow them to quietly conquer external markets. Their focus is five African countries: Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe. China is now in negotiations on high-speed train projects in 28 countries. During the 2014 year, the Prime Minister Li Kequiang, known in China for being a “super-seller of high speed trains,” spoke of 12 priority countries, of which five are African countries: Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe. In 2014, exports of the CNR alone increased 68% compared to the previous year, reaching $3 billion. To strengthen its financial base, the company is preparing to raise 12 million yauns through private shares, concentrated on five projects. The total of Chinese exports relating to rail accounted, in 2014, for 10% of the world markets.