China close to opening US$10 billion canal linking heartlands to Southeast Asia

China is expected to finish construction on the landmark Pinglu Canal before the end of this year, taking just four years to complete the 72.7 billion yuan (US$10.4 billion) project to boost trade links with the country’s top export destination: Southeast Asia.The mega-project will provide China’s landlocked southwestern provinces with direct access to global shipping lanes, making it faster and cheaper to transport goods between the Chinese interior and neighbouring countries.The 134km (83 mile) waterway linking Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with the Gulf of Tonkin – known in China as the Beibu Gulf – via the Qinjiang River is the first major canal China has built for centuries.Construction on the project has already entered its final phase, and it is set to open to navigation by the end of 2026, state media outlet China-national-radio" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="19055" data-entity-type="organization">China National Radio reported on Wednesday.About 89.7 per cent of the planned investment has been completed, Guangxi Daily reported on Sunday, citing a government conference.The Pinglu Canal features a waterway large enough to accommodate 5,000-tonne vessels, three dual-line shiplock hubs, and 27 newly built or renovated bridges, 13 of which have already been put into operation, the report said.With work progressing smoothly, preparations to open the canal to shipping traffic are set to begin from May, according to the report, citing a senior manager on the project.