On the morning of September 9, the Information Office of Qinzhou Municipal Government held a press conference themed "Connecting Rivers to the Sea for Maritime Strength, Maritime Services Safeguard the Operation of the Pinglu Canal," where officials from the Qinzhou Maritime Safety Administration briefed the media on relevant work and answered reporters' questions.
The Pinglu Canal is the first river-to-sea waterway built since the founding of the People's Republic of China. As a key project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, it is constructed to Class I inland waterway standards, capable of accommodating 5,000-tonne vessels. Once operational, the canal will shorten the maritime export route for cargo from the southwestern region by approximately 560 kilometres, marking a significant milestone in advancing Guangxi's maritime-oriented economy.
Currently, all major engineering works on the Pinglu Canal have been completed, full-line water-filling tests have been successfully finished, and comprehensive real-vessel navigation trials along with full-element shipping drills have been concluded. The canal is scheduled to officially open to navigation on September 16.
Since construction began, the Qinzhou Maritime Safety Administration has established a working mechanism featuring "full-cycle support, whole-chain supervision, comprehensive resource backing, and all-round services" to safeguard the project. Since 2026, a total of 1,129 identified hazards have been rectified, achieving a 100% closed-loop resolution rate. Over 180 maritime construction permits and amendments have been processed, with processing times reduced by more than 70%. The administration has also achieved its goals of zero accidents, zero fatalities, and zero pollution during the construction phase.
Targeting the three key stages - late-stage main construction, water-filling tests, and real-vessel navigation trials - the maritime authority has pushed forward safety assurance work in a phased manner, employing patrol vessels, drones, and the BeiDou navigation system for three-dimensional surveillance, while improving navigation safety management protocols and driving closed-loop rectification of issues identified during trials, including channel conditions, navigational aids, and traffic organisation.
Going forward, the Qinzhou Maritime Safety Administration will focus on verifying navigation parameters, managing early-stage traffic organisation, and enhancing multi-party coordination. It will also verify all pre-navigation conditions, guide the development of supporting facilities at water service areas, actively cultivate new shipping business models such as water-based tourism and ship-to-ship transfer operations, and facilitate a smooth transition from construction-phase oversight to routine navigation management, ensuring the safe and punctual opening of the Pinglu Canal and providing robust maritime support for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.
Key Focus Areas for Early Navigation Management
The full-line real-vessel trials of the Pinglu Canal, covering three major hubs, tidal sections along the entire route, and the complex waters where rivers meet the sea, represent the most critical full-process operational verification before opening. The focus will be on three core areas to solidify the foundation for early navigation operations.
First, comprehensive data collected from the real-vessel trials - including water depths across all sections, bend meeting scenarios, lock chamber transits, and vessel handling in tidal reaches - will be systematically reviewed. Technical indicators such as channel dimensions, bridge clearances, navigational aid luminosity, and anchorage capacity will be verified item by item. Issues identified during the trials, such as insufficient navigational aid performance, will be rectified, and once all navigation parameters pass verification, they will be officially published to provide authoritative technical guidance for vessels.
Second, a differentiated traffic control plan will be formulated for the early navigation phase. Given the mixed vessel types, crew unfamiliarity with the canal, and variable currents at the river-sea interface, clear navigation rules and scheduling priorities will be established for different time windows and vessel tonnages. Special temporary control measures will be implemented during the transitional period at the river-sea junction, with navigational requirements communicated simultaneously through navigational warnings, corporate notifications, and administrative service windows to guide vessels in planning orderly transits.
Third, a routine coordination mechanism will be institutionalised. A daily consultation system will be established among maritime authorities, canal operators, lock managers, and pilotage units to enable real-time sharing of lockage plans, channel depths, and vessel movement data. Joint dynamic monitoring and rapid response mechanisms will be set up with navigational aid and waterway maintenance units to quickly address issues such as channel siltation, floating debris, and displaced buoys. Meanwhile, procedures for extreme weather warnings and emergency responses to vessel incidents will be refined to ensure smooth and orderly navigation during the initial phase.
Transitioning from Construction Oversight to Operational Management
As the Pinglu Canal enters its final sprint phase, with construction vessels gradually departing, the regulatory team is currently employing a three-dimensional surveillance model for on-site control while focusing on four core risks, while simultaneously advancing the transformation of supervisory priorities for a smooth handover to routine navigation operations.
First, an integrated "air-water-shore" three-dimensional supervision model has been established. On-site patrols remain the primary approach, supplemented by remote monitoring. Patrol vessel inspections and onboard verification serve as the baseline, with drone aerial sweeps, smart maritime systems, and the canal's digital twin platform covering surveillance blind spots. Remote systems first screen for vessel violations and abnormal navigational conditions, with issues immediately triggering dispatch of enforcement personnel for on-site resolution, creating a "remote early warning, on-site closed-loop" workflow. This year alone, 1,129 hazards have been rectified, achieving a 100% closed-loop resolution rate.
Second, strict control is maintained over four major construction-phase risks. Vessel seaworthiness and crew certification are carefully verified, with zero tolerance for unlicensed operation or overloaded hazardous work. Routine patrols cover all bridge waters along the route, inspecting collision protection facilities and warning signage to prevent vessel-bridge collisions. Onboard inspections verify oil-water separator and sewage storage equipment, with pollutant offloading and transfer under full supervision to prevent any direct discharge into the water. During flood seasons and typhoon events, patrol frequency is intensified, with vessels directed to seek shelter and suspend operations, while risks from concurrent bridge and waterway works are dynamically managed.
Third, the supervisory model is being steadily transformed for a precise switch from "construction control" to "navigation operations." The navigation supervision framework has been planned in advance, leveraging comprehensive route surveys to map risk points at bends, hubs, and tributary confluences. A navigation risk control checklist has been established, with dedicated supervision and emergency response plans for complex waters. The regulatory layout is being restructured based on canal alignment, currents, and vessel traffic characteristics, with responsibility zones demarcated and patrol vessels, drones, and intelligent monitoring equipment deployed for round-the-clock routine patrols, targeting violations such as overloading, exceeding vessel dimension limits, and unauthorised anchoring after opening. Joint mechanisms are also being established with canal operators, lock managers, and waterway maintenance units, with emergency drills covering scenarios such as groundings, collisions, and oil spills to continuously refine multi-party response procedures and ensure safe and orderly navigation operations.
Fostering New Shipping Business Models for Qinzhou's Hub Development
The opening of the Pinglu Canal will unlock the full potential of Qinzhou's river-sea intermodal transport. The Qinzhou Maritime Safety Administration, in line with its statutory functions and the city's core goal of building a river-sea intermodal hub port, is focusing on three dimensions - administrative business environment, shipping industry cultivation, and safety coordination - to convert the canal's corridor advantages into tangible industrial outcomes.
First, an integrated and efficient administrative environment for the river-sea network is being established. The maritime administrative service system is being upgraded to open up a unified acceptance channel for inland vessels and direct river-sea vessels, with streamlined online and offline processing through a single window. Vessel entry and exit reporting procedures are being optimised to reduce port turnaround times and lower operational costs for shipping companies. In parallel, participation in the joint river-sea dispatch system is underway, with optimised staggered transit schedules for 5,000-tonne vessels to enhance coordination efficiency across locks, ports, and channels.
Second, green and diversified shipping business models are being cultivated. Full support will be provided for the safe routine operation of 5,000-tonne vessels post-opening, including full-voyage escorts and specialised technical guidance for LNG-powered vessels and new-energy intelligent ships. Regulatory standards for new business models such as water-based tourism passenger services, LNG bunkering on water, and ship-to-ship transfers are being standardised, with dedicated navigation and operational guidelines compiled. Leveraging the water service areas along the canal, supporting services such as crew training, vessel maintenance, and supply replenishment will be extended, attracting shipping companies and ancillary industries to cluster and helping Qinzhou build a regional shipping service centre.
Third, a fully coordinated safety assurance foundation is being constructed. An integrated safety supervision system covering both canal and port is being established, with improved cross-departmental emergency response mechanisms involving maritime, waterway, lock, emergency response, and meteorological authorities. Patrol vessel deployment and emergency supply stockpiles along the route are being optimised, and military-civilian navigation coordination mechanisms are being refined to balance military waterway requirements with civilian shipping needs. Long-term "zero-emission" regulatory measures for the canal will continue to be implemented, providing a safe and green navigation environment that comprehensively supports the development of Qinzhou Port as a river-sea intermodal hub.
Source: Qinzhou Release