China's waterway freight volume up 5.2 pct in Q1

China's waterway freight volume rose 5.2 percent year on year in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, data from the Ministry of Transport showed.

More than 1.93 billion tonnes of waterway cargo were transported in the period, according to the ministry.

In March alone, China's waterway freight volume stood at 683.17 million tonnes, said the ministry.

South China's Hainan Province led the expansion among 31 provincial-level regions, reporting year-on-year growth of 25 percent in the first three months, followed by central China's Hubei Province and east China's Jiangsu Province.