ASEAN reporters tour newly opened Pinglu Canal in south China

Media reporters from China and ASEAN countries visited the newly opened Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sunday to get a close-up view of the century project and its economic and ecological benefits.

Having become operational on Sept. 16, the roughly 134-kilometer canal links the Xijiang River shipping route in the north with the Beibu Gulf in the south, giving China's landlocked southwest a shortcut to the coast and overseas markets, particularly ASEAN.

As part of the 2026 ASEAN Media Partners Cooperation Week events, reporters boarded a boat at the Qinzhou comprehensive service area to explore the mega infrastructure.

The group traveled along the newly opened waterway through Qinzhou's urban area, passing beneath several bridges spanning the canal, before heading to the Qingnian Hub, one of the canal's three major hubs, to experience the grand scale of the project up close.

"From the perspective of ASEAN, the Pinglu Canal brings broader development space, especially by shortening transport time. The canal's construction can deepen economic and trade ties. It not only benefits China but also affects all of Asia, especially Southeast Asia, and will have a far-reaching impact," said a reporter with Malaysia's Astro Awani news channel.

The canal has also become a new cultural and tourism destination, with four tourism routes in operation. As of Saturday, passenger routes had completed more than 540 trips and received over 68,000 visitors.

Beyond its economic benefits, the waterway places a strong emphasis on ecological protection. Among its comprehensive conservation measures, Qingnian Hub has set up a specially designed dual-channel fishway, securing the migration route for fish in the Qinjiang River and helping safeguard regional aquatic ecological stability.

"I think this design is very reasonable. It can protect various fish species and allow them to live stably," said Joanico de Araujo, a reporter with Timor-Leste's national news agency.

ASEAN reporters tour newly opened Pinglu Canal in south China

The Chinese and U.S. militaries held a ceremony in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Tuesday to hand over another group of the remains of U.S. airmen who aided China's resistance against Japanese aggression during World War II, according to China's Ministry of National Defense.

The remains were recovered in areas along the Hump Route, a vital air corridor over the Himalayas that became a wartime lifeline for China. From 1942 to 1945, the route served as a key channel for Allied supplies to support China's resistance against Japanese aggression.

The handover ceremony was held at the Jianchuan Museum in Chengdu and attended by military representatives from China and the US. Attendees included Chinese officials and diplomats from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sichuan and Chengdu governments, as well as representatives from the US military and the US Embassy in China.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense said the handover is a vivid testament to the history of China and the United States fighting side by side against Japanese fascism during WWII.

Over the years, China has consistently assisted the U.S. in searching for and recovering the remains of its missing personnel in the spirit of humanitarianism, the ministry said.

China is willing to continue practical cooperation with the U.S. in this field and make positive contributions to building a constructive relationship of strategic stability between the two countries, it added.

China hands over remains of U.S. airmen found along WWII Hump Route