What’s the Pinglu Canal, China’s new gateway to Southeast Asia?

What the report says

China opened the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera, marking the country’s first modern river-to-sea canal. The 134-kilometre waterway links the Xijiang River to the Beibu Gulf and is designed to give inland areas in southwest China a shorter route to the sea and to Southeast Asian markets.

Al Jazeera reported that the project is part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which connects provinces such as Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan with ports in Guangxi and, beyond that, overseas trade routes. Local officials say the canal could shorten shipping distances by about 560 kilometres and cut logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent. The canal is also expected to support larger vessels and streamline access to Qinzhou port and the Beibu Gulf shipping network.

The project comes as China’s trade with Southeast Asia continues to expand, adding context to Beijing’s push to deepen regional links through infrastructure. Al Jazeera noted that Guangxi is also promoting an “economic belt” around the canal to attract industry, including minerals, chemicals, artificial intelligence and information technology, alongside new port-related zones.

The report also highlighted the social cost of construction. Official sources said resettlement affected more than 11,000 people across Guangxi, with households moved to make way for the canal. More broadly, the canal reflects China’s effort to build alternative transport corridors that reduce dependence on single maritime routes and lower trade frictions.