The Pinglu Canal, a key project under China's Western Land-Sea New Corridor, officially opened to navigation on September 16. Stretching 134.2 kilometers, this aquatic artery links the Xijiang River shipping route with the Beibu Gulf, providing the shortest possible waterway between China's southwestern interior and ASEAN markets. It marks the first canal in the history of the People's Republic of China to be planned and built at the national level, connecting the Xijin Reservoir's Pingtang River mouth in Hengzhou, Nanning, to the north, and flowing south via Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, before reaching the Beibu Gulf along the Qin River. The project effectively shifts the region's maritime export route from a lengthy detour to a direct passage.
Conceived over a century ago in Sun Yat-sen's "International Development of China," the canal's completion fulfills a long-held national aspiration. Beyond redrawing the logistical blueprint for western China's access to the sea, it establishes an efficient and cost-effective economic cooperation corridor between China and ASEAN. On its inaugural day, products from Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co. departed as the first cargo to sail through, showcasing the immediate commercial benefits of the route.
"For our export business, the opening of the river-sea intermodal link is a game-changer, as it shortens the maritime voyage for southwestern goods by more than 560 kilometers," said Xie Jiasheng, Deputy General Manager of the Import and Export Company at Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co. He confirmed that his company will permanently integrate the canal into its logistics network to enhance the global reach of Guangxi-made smart products. Similarly, Yang Fanglai, Chairman of Huaihua International Land Port Development Co., Ltd., highlighted that bulk cargo logistics expenses are projected to drop by 18% to 30%, while container unit transport costs are expected to fall by 18% to 22%, calling the canal's opening a pivotal opportunity for cost reduction and a catalyst for reshaping the regional logistics landscape.
The canal's influence extends well beyond its immediate banks. Provinces and municipalities including Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou are tapping into the waterway through rail-water intermodal connections, with multiple direct rail-sea freight trains to ASEAN countries already in operation. The synergy between the China-Laos Railway and the canal now offers landlocked nations like Laos a practical route to the ocean. Reflecting this momentum, diplomatic envoys from various ASEAN member states have recently conducted intensive visits to the canal, expressing strong interest in boosting bilateral trade volumes.
The canal has also created what experts describe as a "magnet effect" for investment. French industrial group SNF is constructing a paper chemical project in the Liujing Industrial Park in Nanning, roughly 50 kilometers from the canal's starting point. This facility is slated to become the group's largest production base in southern China, with Nanning designated as its supply chain hub for the ASEAN market. To date, nearly 200 leading enterprises have established a presence in Guangxi to tap into ASEAN opportunities.
Guangxi is now prioritizing the development of the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt, aiming to build a "leaf-vein" industrial structure oriented toward the sea. This strategy targets key sectors—including non-ferrous and critical metals, modern green chemicals, artificial intelligence and next-generation information technology, as well as new-energy vehicles and batteries—to forge cross-border industrial and supply chains with ASEAN partners. As China's first smart canal with full-lifecycle management, the Pinglu Canal is also unlocking fresh avenues for collaboration in digital economy and green intelligent shipping, positioning itself as a new, mutually beneficial bond in the evolving China-ASEAN partnership.