Chinas major river-to-sea canal to inject new momentum into high-level opening-up, cooperation

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 7, 2026 shows a Panama-flagged container ship sailing along the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

NANNING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will become operational on Sept. 16, according to a Monday press conference on the canal's opening.

The 134.2-km canal links the Xijiang River shipping route in the north with the Beibu Gulf in the south. It is China's first major river-to-sea canal project that has been planned and coordinated at the national level since 1949.

Designed to accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, the canal stretches along the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a strategic route linking China's inland regions with ASEAN and other global markets.

It is expected to shorten the shipping distance between China's southwestern hinterland and ASEAN by 560 km and reduce logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent, said Lu Xinning, vice chairperson of the regional government, in another press conference held in early September.

This photo taken on Sept. 4, 2026 shows vessels taking part in a comprehensive navigation drill on the Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

A panoramic aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 4, 2026 shows vessels taking part in a comprehensive navigation drill on the Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

A drone photo taken on Sept. 3, 2026 shows an automated container wharf of the Beibu Gulf Port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

This photo taken on Sept. 3, 2026 shows the automated container terminal of Beibu Gulf Port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

A drone photo taken on Sept. 3, 2026 shows an automated container wharf of the Beibu Gulf Port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

A worker loads products into a container at a petrochemical enterprise at Qinzhou Port Economic Development Zone, in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

An aerial drone photo shows cars waiting to be exported via freight trains at an automobile logistics base in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 9, 2026. (Photo by Zheng Changhao/Xinhua)

Staff members work on a production line at Liugong Excavators Intelligent Factory in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 2, 2026. Some products of the factory are sold to overseas markets. (Photo by Zheng Changhao/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 4, 2026 shows a view of the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

A staff member registers products at a wind power equipment manufacturing enterprise in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)