China Begins Testing on $10 Billion Trade Canal to Southeast Asia - The 134-kilometer Pinglu Canal in Guangxi promises to slash shipping times, but a broader wave of provincial waterway projects is fueling concerns over mounting local debt
China has begun navigation tests on the $10 billion, 134-kilometer-long Pinglu Canal in the south of the country. The expectation is to drastically reduce shipping times to Southeast Asia after its inauguration, scheduled for September. The Pinglu Canal connects the Xijiang River to the Beibu Gulf in the Guangxi Autonomous Region, creating a direct maritime link to southwest China. This megaproject is at the forefront of a broader wave of provin…