China’s newly opened Pinglu Canal handled more than 1 million tonnes (1.1 million short tons) of cargo in its first month of operation, giving the country’s southwestern hinterland more direct access to international markets, particularly in Southeast Asia. The milestone was reached on October 17, when a laden cargo vessel passed through a key lock on the canal in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, heading towards Qinzhou Port on the Gulf of Tonkin, known in China as the Beibu...