Nanning port. Credit Beibu Gulf Port Group
Nanning is seeking to transform itself from an inland Chinese city into an international logistics hub serving South-east Asia, leveraging Pinglu Canal’s September opening to strengthen river-sea connectivity.
It also wants to expand trade links with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is accelerating the development of an integrated transport network spanning road, rail, waterways, and air, with the canal expected to play a pivotal role in connecting inland cargo flows to international shipping routes.
Yesterday, Nanning municipal officials outlined the plans, with Municipal Bureau of Commerce deputy director Wu Shaopeng noting: “With the Pinglu Canal’s opening, Nanning port has evolved from primarily handling domestic trade into a departure point for river-sea intermodal transport.”
At the Baliang joint operation area, in the Liujing Port district, berths 1 to 6 have opened to foreign trade, allowing international cargo to be imported and exported directly through the port.
Landside logistics had also improved, said Nanning Municipal Bureau of Transportation’s director, Zhu Chao. The city’s expressway network now exceeds 1,500 km, while the Nanning International Railway Port operates daily cross-border rail freight services to Vietnam.
Mr Zhu said: “Nanning’s railway port has become China’s largest consolidation and distribution centre for rail exports to the neighbouring country.”
Air connectivity is also being expanded. Nanning Wuxu International Airport has an annual cargo and mail handling capacity of 400,000 tonnes, and operates seven international cargo routes serving ASEAN markets. It handled 127,800 tonnes of air cargo and mail between January and October, including 47,300 tonnes of international cargo.
Meanwhile, the airport’s Yong Zhi Yi (Wings of Nanning) smart air logistics platform enables transfers between international and domestic flights, cutting four hours from the time needed to distribute ASEAN-imported fruit to destinations across China.
Nanning is also seeking to improve the efficiency of cross-border cargo movements. Technical coordination for China-Vietnam cross-border express freight services has reduced station-to-station transit times between Nanning and Hanoi to as little as 14 hours.
Looking ahead, Nanning plans to increase the frequency of international freight shipping routes and cross-border rail services to ASEAN, while improving connections between rail container services, road freight, and port facilities.
Mr Zhu said: “Nanning will use the Pinglu Canal to revitalise its ports and promote coordinated development across the region. The longer-term ambition is to establish a two-way logistics corridor, facilitating exports of Chinese products to ASEAN markets through Guangxi, while providing an efficient route for South-east Asian goods entering China.”