China has officially opened a 134-kilometer canal in the Guangxi region, offering landlocked provinces in southwest China direct access to the sea. This new waterway connects the mouth of the Pingtang River in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, to the Gulf of Tonkin, which lies between southern China and northern Vietnam in the South China Sea. The project, which took four years to complete, aims to improve transportation efficiency and strengthen economic links between China and its neighboring countries. According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, the canal is expected to reduce transportation costs by 18 to 30 percent and save over 5 billion yuan (about 640 million euros) annually in the region. It will allow goods from southwest China to bypass a 560-kilometer detour to Guangzhou, providing a more direct route to Southeast Asia. The China Central Television (CCTV) described the project as an "emblematic project of our century," highlighting the first barge that successfully navigated the new waterway. The canal is anticipated to be especially beneficial for rural areas and less developed provinces such as Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan, which have traditionally been less economically connected compared to China's more prosperous eastern regions. These areas will now be able to export goods like coal, ore, grains, chemicals, and agricultural products more efficiently through the new route. This improvement is expected to boost local economies and increase trade opportunities with foreign markets. Most of the construction involved expanding and modifying existing navigable waterways, with only a small portion requiring new excavation. The project officially began on August 28, 2022, and was funded with a total investment of 72.7 billion yuan (approximately 9.4 billion euros), according to Xinhua. The canal represents a significant infrastructure development aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and economic growth.