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)