The Pinglu Canal, a major new waterway in southern China's Guangxi region, officially opened to navigation on September 16, with 1,679.8 tonnes of import and export cargo passing through under Nanning Customs supervision on its first day of operation.

The cargo consisted mainly of auto parts, plywood, sodium sulfate, and fiberboard, according to China Customs.

Running from the Pingtang River mouth in Hengzhou, Nanning, south through Lingshan County in Qinzhou and into the Beibu Gulf, the canal provides a new shipping route linking Guangxi's inland areas to the sea.