According to CCTV News on September 7, the Pinglu Canal is scheduled to officially open to navigation on September 16.

The main structure of the Pinglu Canal has successfully passed acceptance inspection. Guangxi's integrated intelligent dispatching platform for river, sea, and inland water transport has been fully launched. Emergency support, cargo sourcing, operational preparation, and all necessary procedural formalities are in place, meaning the canal is ready for navigation.

Construction of the Pinglu Canal began on August 28, 2022, with a total investment of approximately RMB 72.7 billion. The canal is 134.2 kilometers long, starting from Pingtang Estuary in the Xijin Reservoir area of Hengzhou, Nanning, in the north, and running south through Luwu Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou, before following the Qin River directly to the Beibu Gulf. As China's highest-standard inland waterway, it is built to Grade I internal waterway standards and can accommodate 5,000‑tonne vessels. Three major stepped locks – Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian – have been completed along the route, overcoming a total water level drop of 65 meters from start to finish, equivalent to the height of a building with more than 20 stories.

Once operational, the canal will shorten the inland waterway distance for goods from southwestern China to the sea by more than 560 kilometers compared with traditional routes. The voyage to major ASEAN ports will be significantly reduced, and overall logistics costs will decrease by 18% to 30%, saving society over RMB 5 billion annually in transport expenses. The opening of the Pinglu Canal is of great significance for advancing Guangxi's maritime‑oriented development, promoting the new round of western development, and serving the building of an even closer China‑ASEAN community with a shared future.