Successful discussions leading to the merger of Chinas two biggest shipping corporations, COSCO and China Shipping Containerlines (CSC), could open the door for the merger of the country's two largest shipbuilding groups. A succession of State Owned Enterprises (SOE) have been restructured in the light of sluggishness in the global economic system, including steel and metal producers, the Metallurgical Corporation of China and Minmetals Corporation, along with rolling stock manufacturers CNR and CSR. Merger of the SOEs has been a long standing government ambition according to local sources and the agreement to merge the two shipping companies has come as no surprise, though there still needs to be some clarity of the situation with the respective lines' alliance partners.
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