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

China is inaugurating the Pinglu Canal, its first modern river-to-sea canal, on September 16, 2026. This 134 km waterway, located in Guangxi, links the Xijiang River with the Beibu Gulf, shortening shipping distances by 560 km between inland areas of southwest China and Southeast Asian countries. The project is part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, integrated into Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative.