134.2-kilometer-long Pinglu Canal commissioned in China
Sea-news.az reports citing Seanews.az, that the Pinglu Canal connects the inland regions in the country’s southwest with international maritime trade routes, enabling the expansion of trade relations with Southeast Asia.
Built with an investment of 72.7 billion yuan (10.8 billion US dollars), construction of the project began in 2022 and was completed within four years. This is China’s first artificial canal connecting a river to the open sea since 1949.
The waterway connects Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, with the Gulf of Tonkin. The canal shortens ships’ routes by 560 kilometers compared to the previous route passing through Guangzhou. This is expected to reduce logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent and generate annual savings of over 5 billion yuan.
The canal accommodates the movement of cargo vessels of up to 5,000 tons. On its first day, 30 vessels carrying construction materials, steel, coal, minerals, and fertilizers were planned to pass through the canal. At the same time, two new trade routes were opened between Nanning and Can Tho (Vietnam), and between Nanning and the port of Yangpu (Hainan province).
