A cargo ship navigates in the Yangtze River, December 4, 2009. The Yangtze River, the longest river in China linking the western, eastern and central regions, whose main channel coursing over a distance of 2,800 kms, has long been famed as the "golden channel" as it serves as a key factor in inter-province business navigating and the regional economy. A total package of 43 billion yuan (US$6.3 billion) investment is to be put into an improvement project of the Yangtze River Channel by 2020, according to a State Council plan. [Xinhua]