Beijing, Feb 15 (IANS): China will dredge a middle section of the Yangtze to improve water flow in the country's longest river.

The National Development and Reform Commission will fully finance the $635 million project, making a 386.5 km-long waterway on the river suitable for heavy freight liners, Xinhua news reported.

Under the plan, by 2019 the waterway between Wuhan -- capital of central China's Hubei Province -- and Anqing City in east China's Anhui Province will be dredged to reach a minimum depth of 6 meters and 200 meters in width to allow 10,000-tonne ships to travel from the estuary to the river's middle reaches in Wuhan, and 5,000-tonne ships to go further inland to Yichang City in Hubei Province.

China issued a guideline for the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in 2017.

It is among a series of measures to build world-class industrial clusters manufacturing electronics, high-end equipment, automobiles, home appliances and clothing along the river.