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

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   China opens Pinglu Canal to link southwest region with Southeast Asia

   China officially opened the Pinglu Canal to navigation on September 16, 2026. The 134.2-kilometer waterway connects the Xijiang River's main channel to the Beibu Gulf, providing landlocked regions in southwest China a direct shipping route to the sea. This infrastructure project aims to reduce transit times to Southeast Asia and reshape trade with ASEAN nations. The project also included the excavation of 315 million cubic meters of earth and rock, which the government used to create new farmland.

   Why it matters

   This is the first project of its kind in China since 1949. It serves as a component of the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance high-standard opening-up. The canal transforms the logistics of the southwest interior by bypassing longer traditional routes.

   What is confirmed

   • The Pinglu Canal opened to navigation on September 16.
   • The canal is 134.2 kilometers long and connects the Xijiang River to the Beibu Gulf.
   • China excavated 315 million cubic meters of earth and rock from the canal to create farmland.
   • The waterway is designed to reduce transit time to Southeast Asia.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The shipping canal cost $10 billion to build.
   • The canal was first surveyed in 1968.

   What to watch next

   • Trade volume data between southwest China and ASEAN nations following the opening.
   • Participation levels of Taiwan companies in Pinglu Canal trade opportunities.
   Sources used for this update (19)

   1. www.aljazeera.com — Asia Pacific
   2. Al Jazeera — What’s the Pinglu Canal, China’s new gateway to Southeast Asia?
   3. South China Morning Post — China launches Pinglu Canal, slashing transit time to Southeast Asia
   4. news.cgtn.com — Mainland welcomes Taiwan companies to share Pinglu Canal opportunities
   5. globaltimes.cn — China creates fertile farmland with 315 million cubic meters of earth and rock excavated from the Pinglu Canal
   6. Vocal — I Surveyed China’s Pinglu Canal in 1968. Fifty-Eight Years Later, I Watched It Open.
   7. Global Times — A China committed to high-standard opening-up is surging forward along the Pinglu Canal: Global Times editorial
   8. China Daily Global Edition — Golden waterway opened to fast link China's southwest with the sea
   9. CNA — China opens major canal linking landlocked regions to sea
   10. news.cgtn.com — How Pinglu Canal could reshape China-ASEAN trade
   11. China Daily — New infrastructure opens opportunities for Taiwan businesses
   12. Washington Examiner — China opens $10 billion shipping canal to Southeast Asia in landmark win for Belt and Road Initiative
   confidence 95%