A full-scale vessel navigation drill was held on the Pinglu Canal on Thursday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, ahead of the canal's official opening.

The drill brought together 14 organizations and more than 20 vessels, according to the Pinglu Canal Group, including 5,000-tonne-class inland cargo ships, container ships, seagoing vessels and passenger ferries, while putting the canal's smart monitoring capabilities through a real-world test.

The 134.2-km Pinglu Canal is a key project in China's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a freight network designed to improve links between the country's western regions and overseas markets.