Choke points: China’s Yangtze River shipping is stuck in traffic, and the costs are rising

One of Asia’s busiest waterways needs help to restore smooth sailing and boost regional economies, experts say

Reading Time:3 minutes

An aerial view of the Yangtze River near Yangluo Port in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province is seen on June 1. Experts say the sagging efficiency of the waterway must improve to boost the region’s economy. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:30am, 23 Jun 2024

China’s Yangtze River, the longest waterway in Asia – and one of the busiest – has long suffered from choke points that hinder transport efficiency, and now calls are growing for major improvements to the artery to help boost the local economies that it connects.

Shipping industry professionals, experts and local officials from four provinces and a municipality along the river – Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi – gathered in Chongqing earlier this month to discuss “high-quality” shipping development in the upper Yangtze region.

Since their first forum in 2021, the five regions have discussed cooperation on shipping data, emergency river rescues and interprovincial regulations. More than 33 companies have signed contracts to collaborate on river tourism, new routes for container ships, shipbuilding and general water transport.

The four provinces and the municipality of Chongqing are key to China’s “Go West” plan to boost development in its western and central regions.

The forum has also tried to solve ongoing problems that hamper shipping along the key transport route, which have worsened, according to the experts at this year’s forum.

Frequent traffic jams occur as boats pass by the Three Gorges Dam, and travel on important tributaries like the Wu, Jialing and Min rivers continues to be impeded. Those waterways lack optimal connections to the main body of water body, news portal The Paper reported, citing experts at the forum.