Focusing on the “One Network, Four Modernizations” strategic direction to usher in a new chapter of high-quality development for Pearl River waterway transport during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

　　The 2026 National Transportation Work Conference proposed that improving the modern comprehensive transportation system should be the main focus during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period. It aims to accelerate the construction of a national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, emphasizing integration, safety enhancement, digital intelligence upgrades, and green transformation. The Pearl River Navigation Administration of the Ministry of Transport will focus on "one network and four transformations" to solidly promote the high-quality development of Pearl River shipping, providing strong support for a good start to the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan".

　　Strengthen Planning Guidance and Promote Connectivity of the Pearl River Shipping System

　　Implement the national port and waterway layout plan, and in accordance with the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" for water transport and Pearl River navigation development, coordinate and accelerate the construction of a major Pearl River shipping corridor network that connects Yunnan and Guizhou, traverses Guangdong and Guangxi, and provides "sea exits" for the two bays, supporting the construction of a modern high-quality national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network.

　　First, accelerate the construction of national high-grade waterways. Promote the completion and trial operation of waterway projects such as the Nanning (Niuwan) to Guigang section of the Xijiang shipping trunk line, the Pinglu Canal, and the Guijiang River. Advance the construction of waterway projects such as the Shunde Waterway, the extension of the Beijiang River, and the Yunnan section of the Youjiang Baise Reservoir area, and tackle the standard construction of waterways like the Hongshui River.

　　Second, clear bottlenecks in inland waterway shipping. Promote the completion and trial navigation of the Baise Water Conservancy Hub navigation facilities, advance the construction of navigation facilities at the Longtan Hydropower Station, and implement projects such as the construction of the five-line ship lock at the Changzhou Hub and the renovation of the Yantan ship lift.

　　Third, consolidate and enhance the hub function of inland ports. Continue to play the backbone role of major ports in the Pearl River water system in bulk cargo transportation and promote the reconstruction and upgrading of small scattered terminals on the Xijiang shipping trunk line.

　　Strengthen Coordination and Promote Integration of Pearl River Shipping

　　Leverage the comparative advantages of Pearl River shipping, actively integrate into the comprehensive transportation system, and better serve the implementation of national strategies and regional economic and social development such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the new western land-sea corridor, and the Hainan Free Trade Port.

　　First, promote cross-regional integrated development. Strengthen the interconnection of Pearl River shipping infrastructure, consolidate Guangdong's innovative leading advantage in water transport development, cultivate Guangxi's growth pole for water transport development, and strengthen the accessibility of Guizhou and Yunnan's water transport facilities to achieve complementary regional advantages.

　　Second, promote cross-modal integrated development. Advance the shift of long-distance bulk cargo from road to water, promote the development of multimodal transport such as rail-water intermodal transport, expand the scope of river-sea intermodal routes such as "shuttle buses" and "South China Express", leverage the river-sea intermodal function of the Pinglu Canal, and advance the online processing of intermodal business documents.

　　Third, promote cross-sector integrated development. Promote the coordinated development of Pearl River shipping with industries such as energy, information, commerce, and tourism.

　　Consolidate the Foundation for Development and Promote Safety Enhancement of Pearl River Shipping

　　Implement the Ministry's "Two Grabs and Three Strengthens" and the "Thirty Measures" for major holidays, strengthen the resilience of the Pearl River shipping channel, and ensure high-quality development with high-level safety.

　　First, improve the level of channel maintenance and smoothness. Leverage the role of the Xijiang shipping trunk line navigation maintenance and smoothness work mechanism and the coordination and linkage mechanism for maintaining the smoothness of ships waiting at locks, strengthen the coordination and linkage of flood control, drought resistance, and typhoon prevention in waterway transportation in the Pearl River water system, and enhance proactive defense against severe weather.

　　Second, strengthen safety production supervision. Focus on the investigation and rectification of major risks and hidden dangers in transportation safety production during the Spring Festival travel rush, flood season, and summer vacation, deepen "double random, one open" supervision, and carry out special work such as the investigation and management of safety risks and hidden dangers of ship collisions with bridges. Strengthen duty, consultation and dispatch, and information reporting, and enhance safety prevention during key periods.

　　Third, enhance emergency rescue capabilities. Accelerate the construction of emergency rescue bases on the Xijiang shipping trunk line and strengthen the construction of emergency rescue teams for waterways.

　　Focus on Innovation-Driven Development and Promote Digital Intelligence Upgrades of Pearl River Shipping

　　Cultivate and develop new quality productivity for Pearl River shipping, accelerate the construction of a smart Pearl River, and inject new momentum into transportation development.

　　First, promote the digital intelligence transformation of infrastructure. Deeply implement the "Artificial Intelligence + Transportation" action, promote the digital intelligence transformation of transportation infrastructure on the Xijiang shipping trunk line, advance the "one map" project for electronic navigation of high-grade waterways in the Pearl River, enhance the joint scheduling efficiency of multi-line and multi-level ship locks, and promote the automation construction and transformation of inland terminals.

　　Second, innovate shipping management service models. Strengthen the data aggregation and application of the Pearl River sub-platform of the national comprehensive transportation information platform, promote the construction of the Pearl River big data center, and enhance intelligent dispatch for abnormal warnings and emergency command of Pearl River shipping incidents.

　　Third, enhance the data security capability of the shipping network. Promote the domestic substitution of electronic information systems and key infrastructure, and advance the implementation of a strong foundation project for network data security.

　　Adhere to Ecological Priority and Promote Green Transformation of Pearl River Shipping

　　Promote comprehensive green transformation, accelerate the construction of a beautiful Pearl River, and better serve the national "dual carbon" strategy.

　　First, promote the construction of green port and shipping facilities. Implement ecological waterway construction, study the construction of green shipping corridors for the Pinglu Canal and Dongjiang River, promote the priority use of clean energy by machinery at Pearl River inland ports, and advance the construction of water service areas on the Xijiang shipping trunk line.

　　Second, promote the application of clean energy equipment. Advance the scrapping and renewal of old operating vessels, support the development of new energy and clean energy-powered vessels on the Pearl River inland, and promote the normalization of shore power use by vessels at ports on the Xijiang shipping trunk line.

　　Third, promote the economical and intensive use of resources. Strictly manage the use of port shorelines, promote the delineation of waterway protection areas and the protection of waterway resources, and promote the comprehensive utilization of water resources.

　　Author: Li Xuesong, Party Secretary and Director of the Pearl River Navigation Administration of the Ministry of Transport