On June 22, authorized by the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration officially issued an announcement on the new endorsement for the “Pinglu Canal Route”, while launching teacher training and policy briefing sessions at Guangxi Transport Vocational and Technical College simultaneously. This marks the launch of qualification guarantee work for seafarers operating vessels on the canal, laying a critical foundation of qualified seafarers for the official navigation launch scheduled this September.
The Pinglu Canal Route stretches approximately 134.2 kilometers in full length, starting from the Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou, Nanning, passing through Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, the main stream of the Qinjiang River and Maowei Sea, and terminating at Qinzhou Port. Three 5,000-ton ship locks are built along the route, which features complex navigation conditions including continuous bends, narrow waterways, bridge water areas and river-sea convergence zones, posing relatively high navigation risks.
In accordance with the “Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Seafarers” and the “Rules for the Competency Examinations and Certification for Crew of Inland Waterway Ships”, the navigation area (route) shall be clearly endorsed on seafarers’ competency certificates. Holders are prohibited from serving on vessels beyond the endorsed navigation scope. Masters and helmsmen without the Pinglu Canal Route endorsement are not legally permitted to operate vessels within the Pinglu Canal waterway.
Zhou Ai, Director of the Seafarer Management Division of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, explained that route endorsement is a statutory component of competency certificates for seafarers sailing inland waterways. The “Scope of Application” column on vessel operators’ competency certificates must specify all navigable routes they are authorized to ply. The endorsement serves both as proof of a seafarer’s professional competence and a legal document certifying navigation authority. Previously, the Pinglu Canal was not included in the list of routes under the Pearl River water system. The newly added Pinglu Canal Route and corresponding endorsement mechanism eliminate potential regulatory loopholes such as navigable vessels operating without qualified seafarers and lack of legal basis for supervision.
To ensure a sufficient pool of competent seafarers upon the Pinglu Canal’s opening, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration has completed pre-development of the full route endorsement regulatory system, including dedicated training materials and examination question banks, with relevant systems fully debugged. Starting immediately, maritime authorities accept applications for seafarer competency examinations and route endorsements.
The Pinglu Canal is set to open to navigation this September. At present, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration is pushing forward the construction of smart dispatching platforms, digital twin systems, navigation beacon layouts, emergency pollution prevention facilities and other supporting systems. It aims to achieve full readiness of water passage, vessels, qualified personnel and regulatory systems by the opening date, and fully safeguard the safe, efficient and green operation of the Pinglu Canal.
Reviewer 1: Huang Mengyao
Reviewer 2: Zhang Yanlan
Reviewer 3: Tang Caihong