China’s Pinglu Canal in Guangxi officially opened for commercial navigation on Wednesday, creating a direct waterway between the Xijiang River and the Beibu Gulf. The 134.2-kilometer canal avoids the traditional route through Guangdong, cutting shipping distances by more than 560 kilometers and potentially reducing logistics costs by 18%–30%, with estimated annual savings of about 5.2 billion yuan.
The canal is expected to strengthen the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor by making it easier to export Chinese electric vehicles and industrial goods and import Southeast Asian raw materials. The project also included environmental measures, such as a wildlife-only ecological bridge to reconnect habitats. Engineers reused more than 98% of the 315 million cubic meters of excavated material for construction, land restoration and the creation of about 927 hectares of farmland.
The canal is therefore being presented not only as a major trade route but also as an attempt to balance large-scale infrastructure development with environmental protection.
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