SEPTEMBER 13 — China’s Pinglu Canal should not be understood simply as another impressive piece of infrastructure.For Asean, it represents something potentially much larger: the gradual geographical reorientation of southwestern China towards Southeast Asia.The 134.2-kilometre canal in Guangxi connects China’s inland river system with Qinzhou and the Beibu Gulf, opening a substantially shorter maritime route for goods originating in western and southwestern China.Its location is particularly significant.The Beibu Gulf, known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin, lies beside Vietnam. Once vessels emerge from the canal, they are already facing maritime Southeast Asia.That changes economic geography.For decades, much of China’s industrial development…