A team of 45 deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress inspected the Pinglu Canal on Dec 28-29, 2021.

A vital part of the new western land-sea corridor and a newly opened passage for river-sea transport, the Pinglu Canal is essential to major national strategies. It forms a convenient waterway for trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, accelerates the high-quality development of Guangxi and helps build a comprehensive three-dimensional transport network. 

Deputies to the NPC and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress were very concerned about the construction and development of the Pinglu Canal and have repeatedly put forward suggestions on promoting the project construction at the NPC and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress. 

At the current stage, the project has completed 11 themed studies and compiled construction documents. It is planned to start construction in 2022. 

The team first held an inspection meeting in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, to learn more about the construction from the local government and relevant departments, and then went to places including the Qinzhou Youth Sluice Gate, Qinzhou Shajing Port, Longmen Bridge East Bank Exhibition Hall, and Qinzhou Railway Container Center Station, etc.

They also inspected the construction of the Pinglu Canal Youth Hub, the sea outlets and container sea-rail combined transport in the region.

Later, the team held a feedback meeting on the inspection to put forward many in-depth and insightful opinions and suggestions for accelerating the construction. They wanted to make sure inspection activities were effective.  

Deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress inspect the Qinzhou Shajing Port. [Photo/npc.gov.cn]

"It is necessary to speed up the preliminary work of the project, especially to determine the site selection and land use of the project as soon as possible," said Wang Yuefei, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress.

Wang said conducting centralized inspections is a specific measure to carry out the whole-process people's democracy, an important part of delegates performing their duties in accordance with the law as well as a critical way for delegates to keep in touch with the masses.

"It is necessary to participate in this duty performance, carry out field trips and offer feedback to the people's congresses at all levels and relevant departments, so as to effectively enhance the pertinence and effectiveness of such activities," Wang said. 

Lu Xianbian, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress, believes that this joint inspection was well planned, organized and effective. 

"We should make good use of the results and experiences of this inspection and promote the high-quality development of deputies' work," Lu said. 

He said that the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi should continue to pay attention to the construction of the Pinglu Canal project, with high consensus, clear goals, coordinating policies, thorough planning, risk assessment and long-term considerations.

Liu Youming, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi, said that he hopes deputies will continue to conduct more in-depth research and offer more insight on the development of the corridor.

Li Kang, vice-chairwoman of the NPC Ethnic Affairs Committee, said Guangxi is currently in a critical period of transformation and upgrading, and the completion of the Pinglu Canal will play an important role in the region's economic development.

Fei Zhirong, vice-chairman of Guangxi, introduced the construction of the Pinglu Canal.