https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/what-s-the-pinglu-canal-china-s-new-gateway-to-southeast-asiaContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/what-s-the-pinglu-canal-china-s-new-gateway-to-southeast-asiahttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/what-s-the-pinglu-canal-china-s-new-gateway-to-southeast-asia#u75365Fri, 18 Sep 2026 23:11:00 +0000China 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 mattersThis is the first project of its kind in China since 1949. It serves as a compo