Section of the shipping channel between Guigang and Wuzhou on the Xijiang shipping trunk line. [Photo/Nanguo Morning]

The first phase of the 3,000-metric-ton shipping channel between Guigang and Wuzhou on the Xijiang shipping trunk line was put into trial operation Dec 28, making it the heaviest shipping ton channel among all of Guangxi's inland rivers.

The channel starts from Nanning in the west and stretches 850 kilometers to Guangzhou of the Guangdong province in the east. It will be built in two phases with the first phase being 266.5 km long.

Reputed as the "golden shipping channel," it plays a vital role connecting Guangxi and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with the aim of boosting the development of the Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt.

The Xijiang shipping trunk line has gained great momentum in the shipping industry development in recent years. The total number of ships that passed in the first 11 months of 2021 increased by 6.21 percent year-on-year to 343,000 and the cargo handling capacity grew by 6.25 percent to 323 million tons.