Nantong city government in Jiangsu province has recently approved an ambitious plan to dredge its inland waterway network, according to the Yangtze River Administration. The timeframe is not yet clear, but the local government is committed to spending Rmb20.4bn to dredge 942km of its Yangtze tributaries, and to renovate 434 bridges and 12 shiplocks. The most important waterways will be maintained at the level of Grade 4 and above, meaning in technical terms that it will accommodate vessels of 500dwt or more.

Typically, local governments are responsible for maintaining inland waterway networks along tributaries of the Yangtze while the Yangtze River Administration under the Ministry of Transport is in charge of maintaining the waterway on the Yangtze trunkline.