# China opens Pinglu Canal, cutting shipping times and costs

> The 134-kilometer waterway gives landlocked southwestern regions direct sea access, slashing transport distances by over 560 kilometers.
- Title: China opens Pinglu Canal, cutting shipping times and costs
- Summary: The 134-kilometer waterway gives landlocked southwestern regions direct sea access, slashing transport distances by over 560 kilometers. China's new Pinglu…
- Keywords: pinglu canal, china, nanning, guangxi, gulf of tonkin, vietnam, southeast asia, shipping, infrastructure, regional trade, sichuan, chongqing
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/world/2026/09/16/china-opens-major-pinglu-canal-giving-landlocked-regions-a-shorter-route-to-the-sea-and-boosting-regional-trade/235431
- Published: 2026-09-16T17:46:52+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pinglu canal, china, nanning, guangxi, gulf of tonkin, vietnam, southeast asia, shipping, infrastructure, regional trade, sichuan, chongqing
## China opens Pinglu Canal
The 134-kilometer waterway links Nanning in Guangxi to the Gulf of Tonkin, giving landlocked areas direct sea access for the first time.
## Massive distance savings
Goods from southwestern China previously had to go through Guangzhou to reach the sea. The canal cuts that journey by over 560 kilometers.
## Transport costs drop sharply
The canal reduces shipping costs by 18 to 30 percent, generating annual savings of more than five billion yuan in the transport sector.
## Gateway to Southeast Asia
The waterway opens the shortest and most economical route to Southeast Asian markets, boosting regional trade connections.

> opens up the shortest, most economical and most convenient route
## Helps rural inland regions
The route is particularly important for less-connected rural parts of Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan compared to prosperous eastern China.
## What ships through the canal
Coal, ore, cereals, chemicals, agricultural produce and other materials can now reach foreign markets more easily through the new waterway.
## Four years and 72 billion yuan
Construction began in August 2022 and cost 72.7 billion yuan. Most work involved widening and deepening existing waterways.

> the project of our century
## Key takeaway

China's new Pinglu Canal cuts shipping distances by 560 kilometers and costs by up to 30 percent for landlocked southwestern regions.