Fresh from the sea and heading down new river routes, goods are moving faster than ever between China and ASEAN. On August 31, the first batch of exhibits from Malaysia and Thailand arrived at Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center via Qinzhou Port in Guangxi.

By September 16, the Pinglu Canal had officially opened to navigation, with the "Nanning Port–Can Tho Port" river-sea foreign trade route launching its maiden voyage. This marks a key shift in China-ASEAN connectivity, as cargo flows both in and out faster than before.

Guangxi, sharing land and sea borders with ASEAN nations, is a frontline for China’s opening-up to the region. The Pinglu Canal, a key project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, links the Xijiang River system in the north to the Beibu Gulf in the south. It now provides the shortest, most economical, and most convenient route from Guangxi and southwest China to ASEAN markets.

This year’s expo coincided with the canal’s opening, prompting organizers to set up a special exhibition area for it, plus matchmaking sessions on shipping, logistics, cross-border trade, and port industries. Field trips were also arranged to give visitors a hands-on look at opportunities the new corridor offers.

Guangxi Rongxing Zhongke Development Co., Ltd., located near the canal, ships about 2,500 tonnes of household paper annually to Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Company deputy general manager Qin Yubin says exporting via the canal to the Beibu Gulf cuts transport time significantly and saves around 30% on shipping costs.

International interest is building too. Chen Weili, director of the Thailand Board of Investment’s Guangzhou office, says the canal will ease logistics between the two countries, boosting trade and investment. Thai entrepreneur Tithinan Ananat hopes to link Guangxi’s waterway with Thai ports and warehousing, creating smoother two-way supply chains.

Beyond new sea routes, border gates are speeding up. At the Friendship Pass on the China-Vietnam border, cross-border trucks move non-stop. Thanks to a fast-track clearance system, pre-registered drivers can pass in as little as 15 seconds after scanning documents, verifying facial recognition, and pressing fingerprints.

"Procedures are simpler and faster now, which cuts goods damage, boosts transport efficiency, and lowers logistics costs," said Yu Weipeng, a salesperson at Guangxi Pan-Asia International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd.

In 2025, Friendship Pass customs checks exceeded 1 million vehicle trips for the first time. From the start of this year until September 2, over 800,000 vehicles had been cleared, up 22% year-on-year.

Looking across the region, a multi-layered transport network is taking shape. The New Western Land-Sea Corridor rail service now reaches 166 stations across 76 cities in 18 provinces. Beibu Gulf Port has expanded its container routes to 103, including 64 foreign trade lines, with stronger connections to key ASEAN ports.

China-Vietnam rail services have also intensified, growing from three trains per week to daily departures. In the first half of this year, 16,808 TEUs of export cargo left Guangxi on these services. Electronics and machinery head south, while ASEAN specialties like durian, mangosteen, and coconut travel north by rail.

These links are also tightening trade ties. In 2025, China-ASEAN trade exceeded $1 trillion for the first time. China has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with ASEAN holding the top spot for China for six years straight. From January to July this year, bilateral trade hit $744.41 billion, up 24.7% year-on-year.

Connectivity is also deepening beyond physical routes. China and ASEAN signed the upgraded version 3.0 of their Free Trade Area protocol in 2025, bringing supply chain connectivity under a formal institutional framework for the first time. Lei Xiaohua, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Research Institute at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, says Guangxi can leverage platforms like the pilot free trade zone and industrial cooperation zones to innovate in rules of origin, customs facilitation, standards certification, and cross-border data, turning location advantages into deeper institutional integration.

As shipping lanes, railways, and digital links expand, the China-ASEAN connectivity network is opening up new space for cooperation across mountains and seas.