In 2020，China proposed to build a new development pattern of domestic and international circulations. Waterway transport plays a fundamental，leading，strategic，and service-oriented role in economic and social development and will assume a more important mission in the new stage of development. By sorting out the current situation of China’s waterway transport development and judging the development trend during the 14th Five-Year Plan period，we put forward the development ideas and suggestions on China’s waterway transport. Key points include the following：1） seizing new development opportunities to further improve the support capacity of waterway transport infrastructure；2） improving the logistics service capacity and level to enhance the resilience of the waterway transport system；3） strengthening the logistics links between regions and within urban agglomerations to smooth the waterway transport system；4） improving the external shipping network to create a more open international logistics supply chain system；5） giving full play to the advantages of free trade ports and free trade pilot areas to deepen system and mechanism innovation；6） strengthening R&D and application of new technologies to promote high-quality development of waterway transport.