People's Daily Online -- Guangxi to build a Sino-ASEAN international channel

People's Daily Online -- Guangxi to build a Sino-ASEAN international channel: "Guangxi to build a Sino-ASEAN international channel



Seizing the opportunity of Sino-ASEAN Expo, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is vigorously putting up a river, ocean, land and air channel. Currently, a comprehensive transportation network stretching from inland central cities to coastal, border and even ASEAN countries, and linking up all cities, counties as well as ports has initially come into being. With Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as its core, it will provide Guangxi's economy with a solid basis to join the Sino-ASEAN Free Trade Zone and Pan-Pearl River Delta (Pan PRD) economic zone.
Two years after the official operation of Sino-ASEAN Free Trade Zone, Guangxi has invested a total of 15 billion Yuan in road construction with the newly built road reaching more than 5,000 kilometers. Apart from that, the construction of other main road projects has also been put underway, including the road from Huangsha River to Quanzhou, from Baise to Luocunkou and from Nanning to Youyiguan. As for the ports in this region, we saw the handling capacity of Guigang Port to exceed 10 million tons in 2003, making it the biggest port in China's western inland waters areas.
Currently, Guangxi has five civil airports and 100-odd domestic and international air-routes. There are direct air-routes to Hong Kong, Macao, Hanoi and Bangkok. Recently, the direct charter flights to nine capitals of ASEAN countries have also been opened to traffic. In regard of the railway construction, the relevant department in Guangxi will invest RMB 40 billion yuan, realizing the 'package programme' of Guangxi's railway construction.
By People's Daily Online "