"Now I am at the Qinzhou Port Area of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone. You may wonder, such an advanced port should be located at the estuary of a large river to maximize its advantages. However, Guangxi has no rivers flowing south into the Beibu Gulf. What to do? No worries, we don’t have a river flowing south into the sea, then why not build one?"

On April 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a "Tour of Foreign Diplomats to Chinese Localities ". Diplomats from 17 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and South America visited Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The delegation made a special visit to the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and explored international cooperation with Guangxi.

What does a canal mean? You may know the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, they are the economic barometers, the golden channels of world trade. Today, in Guangxi, China, another canal is under construction that will change the pattern of world shipping and trade. It is the Pinglu Canal.

Running 135 kilometers, the canal will start inHengzhou, Nanning and will allow ships to reach the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River. It will shorten the voyage of goods entering the gulf in southwestern China by around 560 kilometers.

Pinglu Canal will directly open up the shortest, the most economical and the most convenient passage to the sea for inland regions in southwest and northwest China. Goods from Southeast Asian countries can also enter central and western China more quickly through this canal. In fact, this canal is the backbone project of the new International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC).

Chilean Diplomat to China: Mr. Juan Pablo Vera Yañez:"Most of our countries are far away and they are more familiarized with eastern coast of China. So, I think it’s important to let them know that you have this alternative, a modern alternative you are building right now, an important corridor that connects a lot of different people at different economies and different sectors."

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is located in the hinterland of western China and can reach all the way to Central Asia, South Asia, Europe and other regions through the China-Europe Railway Express.It also connects major logistics nodes in ASEAN through coastal ports such as Beibu Gulf Port in Guangxi, playing an important role in the coordinated development of regions.

Ambassador of Nepal to China: Bishnu P Shrestha:"Nepali people are expecting this project a success. If we begin to connect, by railway, Nepal and Chinese, there will be a lot of win-win cooperation."

In 2022, 8,345 sea-rail intermodal trains were launched on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, up 45 percent year-on-year, reaching 338 ports in 113 countries and regions around the world.