An expert panel organised by Hunan provincial government has approved a plan to invest Rmb170bn over the next 20 years in its inland waterway network including the Yangtze and one of its major tributaries, Dongting Lake. Yueyang port in the middle reaches of the Yangtze is the only one in the province situated on the trunk line.

According to the plan, the provincial government will invest in dredging and vessel standardisation. It will also promote intermodal transport.