China is expected to finish construction on the Pinglu Canal before the end of this year, reports the South China Morning Post. This would mean it has taken just four years to complete the RMB 72.7 billion (US$10.4 billion) project, which aims 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 waterway linking Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with the Gulf of Tonkin 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, says the Post.