Blue Routes for a New Era - Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China

Jul 20, 2026

Blue Routes for a New Era examines how inland waterway transport (IWT) in China has evolved and how it can expand in the new era. The report reviews the benefits and historical growth of IWT, assesses the current status through network, ports, fleet, and freight and passenger volumes, and outlines reform priorities. It highlights planning, institutional governance, long-term construction, infrastructure funding, fleet upgrading, education and training, and transportation research and technology development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages147

Reading Time6 h 10 min

Overview

Scope of the report

Primary audience

Lessons from China

Outlook for IWT in China in the new era

Areas for continued international cooperation in IWT

CHAPTER 1 Growth of Inland Waterway Transport in China

Benefits of inland waterway transport

Emergence of inland waterway transport in China

Inland waterway transport before the founding of the People’s Republic of China

Inland waterway transport after the founding of the People’s Republic of China

Highlights

CHAPTER 2 Status of Inland Waterway Transport in China

Introduction

The classified IWT network

Main inland ports

Inland waterway transport fleet

Freight volumes carried by inland waterway transport

Throughput at inland ports

Passenger volumes on inland waterways

Highlights

CHAPTER 3 Reforming and Developing Inland Waterway Transport in China

Forty years of sustained IWT reform in China

National waterway planning and high-level support for IWT development

Institutional reform and administration of inland waterway transport in China

Long-term comprehensive planning and construction of inland waterways

Funding for inland waterway transport infrastructure in China

Fleet upgrading through the barge standardization program

Education and training in inland waterway transport

Strengthening research and development in transportation science and technology

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Blue Routes fora New Era Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China Bernard Aritua, Lu Cheng, Richard van Liere, and Harrie de Leijer INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS Blue Routes fora New Era Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China BERNARD ARITUA, LU CHENG, RICHARD VAN LIERE, AND HARRIE DE LEIJER © 2020 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; [Internet: www.worldbank.org](Internet: www.worldbank.org)[ ](Internet: www.worldbank.org)Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 23 22 21 20 Books in this series are published to communicate the results of Bank research, analysis, and operational experience with the least possible delay. The extent of language editing varies from book to book. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) [http://](http://)[ ](http://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license), you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this work, including for commercial purposes, under the following conditions: Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: Aritua, Bernard, Lu Cheng, Richard van Liere, and Harriede Leijer. 2020. Blue Routes for a New Era: Developing Inland Waterways Transportation in China. International Development in Focus. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1584-3. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO Translations—If you create a translation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This translation was not created by The World Bank and should not be considered an official World Bank translation. The World Bank shall not be liable for any content or error in this translation. Adaptations—If you create an adaptation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This is an adaptation of an original work by The World Bank. Views and opinions expressed in the adaptation are the sole responsibility of the author or authors of the adaptation and are not endorsed by The World Bank. Third-party content—The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content contained within the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of any third-partyowned individual component or part contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of those third parties. The risk of claims resulting from such infringement rests solely with you. If you wish to re-use a component of the work, it is your responsibility to determine whether permission is needed for that re-use and to obtain permission from the copyright owner. Examples of components can include, but are not limited to, tables, figures, or images. All queries on rights and licenses should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; [e-mai

FAQs

What does the report cover about China’s inland waterway transport (IWT)?

It covers the historical growth of IWT, the current status across networks, ports, fleet, and volumes, and policy directions for continued reform and development.

Which elements are used to assess the current status of IWT in China?

The report assesses the classified IWT network, main inland ports, the IWT fleet, freight volumes, throughput at inland ports, and passenger volumes on inland waterways.

What reforms and development measures does the report recommend for the new era?

It highlights sustained planning and high-level support, institutional reforms, long-term construction and funding, fleet upgrading via barge standardization, education and training, and strengthening transportation science and technology research and development.

Jul 20, 2026

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