Pinglu Canal: a new shortcut for China’s inland-to-sea trade to Southeast Asia
China inaugurates the Pinglu Canal, a 134-km river-to-sea link in Guangxi that cuts inland-to-sea shipping distance by about 560 km and lowers logistics costs by 18–30%, enabling 5,000-tonne vessels and connecting southwest China with Southeast Asia as part of the Belt and Road’s New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor; the project spurs a broader industrial belt near ports, with toll-free passage through 2026 and a staged fee afterward, plus a sizable resettlement program for thousands of residents.