Guangxi aims to be pathway to Asean

Karst landform in Jingxi city offers tourists spectacular natural views.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A special fund was arranged to develop the Xijiang River into a "golden waterway" to the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and Macao.

During the 2011-15 period, Guangxi accelerated subregional economic cooperation with the Pan-Beibu Gulf Zone and the Greater Mekong Subregion, speeded up construction of the Nanning-Singapore Economic Corridor and took part in negotiations on the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership between China, ASEAN and other partners.

Guangxi now has an annual cargo handling capacity of more than 200 million metric tons in its Beibu Gulf sea ports and has established a China-ASEAN port cities network. It has opened air routes to major ASEAN cities and finished construction of the Nanning-Pingxiang high-speed road, the Guangxi sector of China's first expressway to Southeast Asia.

Since 2013, the region has accelerated infrastructure construction in ports along its borders, putting 55 projects on its agenda with total investment of over 230 million yuan ($35 million).

Guangxi has 25 dry, sea and river ports, including 19 national first-level open ports. Fangchenggang has navigable channels with more than 250 ports in over 100 countries and regions, and Qinzhou Port opened five direct trade routes to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

An increasing number of Guangxi companies tapped into overseas markets from 2011 to 2015.