China News Service, Nanning, September 6 (Chen Qiuxia, Zhai Liqiang) "Focus on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and jointly draw a new blueprint for 'prospering towards the sea'" - the 2026 overseas media viewing Guangxi interview event ended in Nanning on the 5th. 26 media, 34 journalists and foreign internet experts from many ASEAN countries, South Korea and China's Hong Kong and Macao regions visited Guangxi, focusing on the Pinglu Canal Century Project and on-the-spot exploration of new opportunities for China-ASEAN connectivity cooperation.
On September 2, foreign media members visited the Pinglu Canal. Photo by Chen Guanyan
Open up new channels for economic and trade cooperation
The Pinglu Canal, which is about to be opened to navigation, will connect the Xijiang River and the Beibu Gulf with direct river-to-sea waterways. It will significantly reduce sea voyages in southwest China, reduce logistics costs, build a river-sea-rail multimodal transport system, and build an efficient water transport channel for China-ASEAN economic and trade exchanges.
Laos, which has no coastline, takes this opportunity to usher in new opportunities for opening up to the outside world. Lao National Television reporter Veerapet Vongpachan believes that the Pinglu Canal will greatly smoothen Laos’s external communication channels and is an important opportunity to help the export of local industrial and agricultural products and expand opening up.
Thailand's PPTV reporter Noparut Sa-Nganjanweng said that he had personally seen paper towels produced by Guangxi factories being exported to Thailand. After the canal is opened to navigation, cargo transportation will be faster and cheaper, and two-way transportation between Thailand and China will become more convenient, which will continue to promote the expansion and upgrading of China-ASEAN trade.
Liao Zhiyou, a reporter from Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily, pointed out that the Pinglu Canal will strengthen the linkage between Guangxi’s Qinzhou Port and Malaysia’s Kuantan Port, and enable Malaysia and China’s “two countries and two parks” industrial and technological exchanges. "The canal can effectively break the logistics bottleneck in East Malaysia and open up new space for economic and trade cooperation between Malaysia and China."
Pictured is the Pinglu Canal. (Drone photo) Photo by Wang Yizhao
Practice the win-win concept of ecological development
How to balance the development of major infrastructure and ecological protection is the focus of this foreign media interview. The Pinglu Canal adheres to the concept of "engineering gives way to nature" throughout the construction process and integrates ecological protection into the design. Through measures such as optimizing the waterway, expanding and transplanting mangroves in off-site locations, laying out smart fish passages and ecological corridor bridges, and efficiently disposing of earthwork, regional biodiversity is protected to the maximum extent.
Liao Zhiyou said: "I am deeply impressed by the engineering team's initiative to balance shipping development and ecological balance, which demonstrates China's development concept of balancing economic development and ecological protection."
Cambodia News Agency reporter Peng Somani resonated with this. She said that Guangxi's model of adhering to the ecological bottom line and taking into account development and protection in major projects is of great reference for regional development.
Build new ties for regional cultural cooperation
This event was hosted by the Information Office of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government and jointly organized by the Guangxi Branch of China News Service and Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group.
Through field visits over the past few days, foreign media have truly felt the vitality of Guangxi’s opening up to ASEAN and witnessed that the construction of the canal has deepened the diverse connections between the governments, enterprises and people of both sides. Many foreign media reporters said they would promote the value of the Pinglu Canal and the opening opportunities of Guangxi through reports to attract more ASEAN companies to delve into the southwest China market.
Foreign media reporters took photos at the Pinglu Canal Horse Road Junction. Photo by Chen Guanyan
Wu Yimin, deputy editor-in-chief of Malaysia's Guanghua Daily, commented that as the first canal connecting the river and the sea since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Pinglu Canal is allowing goods, information and friendship to flow in both directions on both sides of the South China Sea, becoming a solid link connecting China and ASEAN in the new era.
Gisiri Thongnoi, assistant news editor of Thailand's Bangkok Post, said: "In the past, I only understood China-ASEAN cooperation from a macro level. This trip has truly seen the deep integration of industry, trade, and investment between the two sides. The Pinglu Canal fully reflects China's sincerity in deepening regional connectivity. I will focus on promoting the hub role of Guangxi, Nanning and Beibu Gulf Port."
"Philippine Star" columnist Li Tianrong pointed out that the Pinglu Canal creates new possibilities for the exchange of goods, personnel and capital between China and ASEAN. The current global economic situation is complex, and regional mutually beneficial cooperation is not only a business opportunity, but also the key to deepening friendship and achieving common prosperity.
It is reported that Guangxi will continue to rely on major platforms such as the Pinglu Canal and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor to deepen China-ASEAN all-round cooperation in economy, trade, industry, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and continue to inject new momentum into regional win-win development. (over)
