China’s new canal, Baltimore’s new bridge, and NYC’s wheelchair ramps: The GDP problem
by Inside China Business [2-10-2026].
Purchasing Power Parity is a tool to standardize GDP measures across economies, to account for large differences in cost in different countries.
China is opening a new $10 billion canal, that will transform trade routes in Southeast Asia.
The project includes 27 new bridges, and capacity for 5,000-ton cargo vessels that will dramatically cut shipping times and costs for China's interior provinces.
Closing scene, Wuhan
Resources
How China built a giant modern canal in just four years 2-2-2026]
In just four years, China has carved open a new artery from inland to ocean – the Pinglu Canal – a historic mega-infrastructure project that is reshaping the nation's transport landscape. The construction began in August, 2022, and the canal is now in its final stage, ready to open for navigation by the end of 2026 – an extraordinary pace for such a massive feat.
Imagine a massive waterway cutting across mountains and plains that connects the heartland of southwest China straight to the sea. That is the Pinglu Canal – a 134.2-kilometer inland waterway under construction in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, linking rivers to the Beibu Gulf and shortening shipping routes to the sea by more than 560 kilometers.
China has plans for grand canals
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China close to opening US$10 billion canal linking heartlands to Southeast Asia [1-26-2026]