China opens major river-to-sea canal, creating trade shortcut to Southeast Asia
2026-09-16 17:17 Xinhua
This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2026 shows a view of Qinzhou service area along the Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. China opened the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, giving its landlocked southwest a shortcut to the coast and overseas markets, particularly those in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the country's largest trading partner.
Built at a cost of 72.7 billion yuan (about 10.75 billion U.S. dollars), the 134.2-kilometer canal runs from Hengzhou, a county-level city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf, the closest maritime outlet for much of southwest China. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2026 shows a view of Qinzhou service area along the Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. China opened the Pinglu Canal on Wednesday, giving its landlocked southwest a shortcut to the coast and overseas markets, particularly those in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the country's largest trading partner.
Built at a cost of 72.7 billion yuan (about 10.75 billion U.S. dollars), the 134.2-kilometer canal runs from Hengzhou, a county-level city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the Beibu Gulf, the closest maritime outlet for much of southwest China. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
