The coordinated development is the core of sustainable development, and the hot issue of international research. Inland water transport(IWT) is an important part of the water resources exploiting system and comprehensive transport system under socio economic context of river basin, and also the country's sustainable development priorities to achieve resource conserving and environment friendly strategy. This paper is based on the coordinated development content, combined Germany's successful development experience, explored the elements and the problem of the coordinated development of IWT system with China's national economic strategy and basin economy, water resource system, comprehensive transport system, and system itself, and their countermeasures and suggestions，in order to facilitate rapid and coordinated development of China's inland water transport.