Jiangsu provincial government announced on 16 February that it would spend Rmb5.5bn by the end of this year to help dredge 146km of the Yangtze trunkline, according to reports from the Yangtze River Administration under the Ministry of Transport.

Dredging the trunkline is usually the responsibility of the central government, while local governments are financially responsible for the tributaries. In recent years, however, local governments have become more willing to help finance the dredging of the trunkline as increased shipping capability is becoming vital to local economies.

The Jiangsu section, about 500km between Shanghai and Nanjing, is the busiest stretch of the trunkline.