China has opened the Pinglu Canal, its first new river-to-sea waterway since 1949, according to state media. The canal connects the inland city of Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the Beibu Gulf, providing a direct shipping route to the sea and Southeast Asia.
The project is part of China's broader push to develop its western regions and strengthen trade links with ASEAN countries. It is expected to reduce transport distances and costs for goods from Guangxi and neighboring provinces, which have historically relied on longer routes to reach coastal ports.
Officials have compared the canal's potential economic impact to that of the Yangtze River on Shanghai's development, though the scale and scope differ significantly. The Yangtze is one of the world's busiest inland waterways, while the Pinglu Canal is a newly constructed 134.2-kilometer channel.
Construction of the canal began in 2022 and involved significant engineering challenges, including the excavation of large volumes of earth and the construction of locks to manage water levels. The completion marks a milestone in China's infrastructure development and is expected to boost regional logistics and trade.
