China's Pinglu Canal, linking river to sea, begins vessel traffic trials

The Pinglu Canal began ship traffic trials on Wednesday (12/8), marking an important step towards the planned opening of the major waterway in September.

The trial began when an unloaded 5,000-tonne vessel departed from the Xinfu service area along the canal in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China.

Four vessels representing the main types expected to use the canal will take part in the trial. The four vessels consist of two 5,000-tonne ships in loaded and unloaded conditions, as well as 3,000-tonne and 1,000-tonne vessels in loaded condition.

The trial will evaluate navigation under both normal and difficult conditions, and check whether the waterway, locks, anchorage areas, service areas and navigation facilities are ready for operation.

The vessels will traverse the main sections of the canal and carry out a series of tests, including passing through locks, overtaking and passing other vessels, turning, anchoring in tidal conditions and sailing at night.

Additional testing is planned under potentially hazardous conditions, such as during reservoir water release, flooding from tributary overflow, and a combination of strong winds and high tides.

The trial vessels are equipped with BeiDou positioning systems, drones and sensors to collect data on routes, movement, water currents and safe distances between vessels.

Designed to accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, the 134.2 km Pinglu Canal is China’s first large-scale river-sea connector project planned and coordinated at national level since 1949.

Experts believe the canal has the potential to shorten transport times, reduce logistics costs and strengthen connectivity between China’s western interior and Southeast Asia.

Stretching from the Pingtang River in Hengzhou City, Guangxi, to Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, the canal is a key pillar of China’s New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which is developing into a strategic route linking China’s interior with ASEAN and other global markets.

Rail services on the corridor handled a cargo volume of 1.425 million TEU in 2025, setting a record and marking a 47.6 percent year-on-year increase.

As of early July 2026, the rail network had reached 593 ports in 128 countries and regions.