At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office this morning, a senior official from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced that upon the opening of the Pinglu Canal, the transport distance between China's southwestern hinterland and ASEAN will be reduced by more than 560 kilometers, with logistics costs expected to drop by 18% to 30%.

The Pinglu Canal, according to the introduction, stands as the world's highest-grade inland-sea waterway connection, boasting the top navigation classification both domestically and internationally. It is set to redraw the economic and geographical landscape between China and ASEAN.

Once navigation begins, this new route will not only provide a bi-directional channel for cargo flow between the two vast markets, but will also further consolidate the convergence of capital, technology, talent, and labor resources between southwestern China and ASEAN nations, spurring the emergence of fresh cross-border investment and industrial cooperation initiatives.