As a node city connecting with the European Union, Guangxi is the key to promoting the development of cooperation between China and ASEAN. On July 20, 2022, according to the "Resolution of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Agreeing to Build the Pinglu Canal", approved by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the Communist Party of China The Committee and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region agreed that the Guangxi Development and Reform Commission recently approved the feasibility study report of the Pinglu Canal Project, marking the opening of the construction of this century project serving major national strategies such as the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.

The main task of developing the Pinglu Canal is to develop shipping, combined with water supply, irrigation, flood control, and improvement of the water ecological environment. The Pinglu Canal begins at the mouth of the Pingtang River in the Xijin Reservoir District, Hengzhou City, Nanning, and enters the Beibu Gulf along the Qinjiang River through Luwu Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou, with a total length of about 135 kilometers. The main construction contents include waterway engineering, shipping hub engineering, cross-river facility engineering along the route and supporting engineering, etc. The estimated total investment of the project is about 72.7 billion yuan.

After the completion of the Pinglu Canal project, the comprehensive benefits will be obvious. Ships in the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River in Guangxi can go to sea from Qinzhou Port via the Pinglu Canal, which shortens the voyage by more than 560 kilometers compared to going to sea via Guangzhou. The project will open up a convenient water transport channel for trade between China and ASEAN, and promote the comprehensive development of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation; it will effectively enhance the transportation capacity and efficiency of the new western land-sea channel, reduce social transportation costs in Southwest China, and promote the optimization of industrial layout along the route and the formation of a canal. Economic Belt.

Social benefits

The Pinglu Canal Project can provide water security for the irrigation areas along the line, promote the integrated development of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasslands along the line, enhance the flood control capacity of cities and towns along the line, and improve the resilience of the regional transportation network system; in terms of ecological benefits, it will lead the transportation industry to structurally reduce emissions and improve river channels. Self-purification ability and environmental capacity, improve the regional ecological environment.

It is reported that the feasibility study report of the Pinglu Canal Project has been approved by the Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport of China, the Yangtze River Survey, Planning and Design Co., Ltd., China International Consulting Co., Ltd. and dozens of top domestic industry leaders including engineering academicians and design masters. Expert consultation, review and evaluation have effectively promoted the high-quality and high-standard construction of the project.

In order to speed up the preliminary work of the Pinglu Canal project, the Guangxi Department of Transportation entrusted China Communications Water Transport Planning and Design Institute, the Yellow River Survey, Planning and Design Institute and other top domestic research institutions to conduct research on the geological conditions, hydrological conditions, and shipping water resources along the route. .

In the project proposal stage, 11 major thematic studies on shipping planning, overall route and cascade layout, and water resources utilization were carried out; 28 special studies on the delineation of the bay navigation area and the impact of mangroves. After nearly 4 years of research, a scientific and feasible construction plan has been formed. Guangxi also registered and established Pinglu Canal Group Co., Ltd. as the main body of project construction and operation.

In the next step, the Guangxi Department of Transportation will guide the project owner to accelerate the project survey and design and the implementation of the pilot construction project, and coordinate with all relevant departments and units to guide the project owner to speed up the implementation of the project land, forest, sea and other procedures before the start of construction. , strive to start construction as soon as possible, and strive to make the Pinglu Canal project a first-class project, safety project, green project, people's livelihood project, and smart project. Editor / Xu Shengpeng