The Pinglu Canal opened to navigation on September 16, becoming China’s first modern river-to-sea canal and the first such canal built by communist China. The 134-kilometer waterway, located entirely in Guangxi, links the Xijiang River with the Beibu Gulf and allows vessels carrying up to 5,000 tonnes to reach the sea without cargo transfers. It cuts shipping distances from southwestern China to Southeast Asia by about 560 kilometers, reduces logistics costs by 18% to 30% and is estimated to save more than 5 billion yuan annually. Costing about 72.7 billion yuan ($10.8 billion), the canal forms part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Guangxi is developing an economic belt around the waterway focused on critical minerals, green chemicals, artificial intelligence and information technology. Commercial sailings to Can Tho, Vietnam, are scheduled to begin, while free passage will apply through December 31, 2026, before a trial fee begins in 2027. The project also involved relocating 2,764 households, or 11,228 people, across Guangxi.