NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday underscored the importance of further opening up in China's western regions as the Pinglu Canal, a trade shortcut to Southeast Asia, officially opened in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made his remarks at a ceremony in Qinzhou, announcing that after four years of hard work, the Pinglu Canal has been completed and is open to navigation.He emphasized that the opening of the canal should be seized as an opportunity to develop a first-class international gateway port at the Beibu Gulf, expand opening-up in western regions, and contribute more significantly to building a new development pattern.Built at a cost of 72.7 billion yuan (about 10.75 billion U.S. dollars), the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal links Nanning, capital of Guangxi, with the Beibu Gulf.Ding also boarded a vessel to inspect navigation operations and ecological protection along the canal. He pointed out that the Pinglu Canal, as key infrastructure for multimodal transport integrating river, rail and sea, is a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.He called for sound operation and management and strengthening transport capacity support and cargo source organization, in order to fully leverage the advantages of coordinated maritime and land transport and internal and external connectivity. This will ensure the safe and efficient operation of this golden waterway linking inland areas and the sea, and achieve the organic unity of economic, social and ecological benefits, he added.The canal provides key support for Guangxi in its efforts to utilize sea access and pursue open development, injecting new momentum into both enhanced connectivity between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will attend and address the opening ceremony of the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit to be held in Nanning, China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 17, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday.According to the spokesperson, Vice President of Myanmar U Nyo Saw, Politburo Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, and Politburo Member of the Central Committee of the Lao's People's Revolutionary Party, Deputy Prime Minister and Standing Member of the Cabinet Saleumxay Kommasith, among other foreign leaders and senior officials, and Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn will attend the opening ceremony.