A cargo ship anchors at Chancay Port in Peru on November 12, 2024. Photo: VCG

China is ready to work with Peru to champion true multilateralism, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a signed article published Thursday in Peruvian media outlet El Peruano.

The article titled China-Peru Friendship: Setting Sail Toward an Even Brighter Future was released as Xi is traveling to Peru for the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima and a state visit to the Latin American country.

Xi noted that the world is undergoing faster transformation unseen in a century, and humanity has again come to a crossroads in history.

China is willing to work with Peru to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and build together a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

Xi also said that during his visit, he and President Dina Boluarte will attend the inauguration ceremony of Chancay Port via video.

The completion of Chancay Port will enable Peru to put in place a multi-dimensional, diverse and efficient network of connectivity spanning from coast to inland, from Peru to Latin America and further on to the Caribbean, Xi said.

"It will also help build an Inca Trail of the New Era with Chancay Port as its starting point, thus boosting the overall development and integration of the region," he added.

In the article, Xi called for joint efforts of both countries to ensure the success of Chancay Port from construction through operation, so that the route from Chancay to Shanghai will lead China, Peru and Latin America to common development and prosperity.

Xi's state visit to Peru has drawn widespread attention from all walks of life in the South American country, with many expressing great expectations for even closer ties between China and Peru and greater bilateral cooperation in a range of fields from trade to investment to technology. 

During the visit, Xi will hold talks with Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra for an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and cooperation in priority areas, according to China's Foreign Ministry. 

In interviews with the Global Times ahead of the highly anticipated state visit, Peruvian scholars and local Lima residents said that China and Peru have always maintained close ties and a series of joint efforts, including the Chancay Port and an upgraded free trade agreement (FTA), will further boost cooperation between Peru and China. 

Head-of-state diplomacy

During the visit, Xi will also attend state events including the welcoming ceremony, the ceremony to exchange cooperation documents, and the welcoming banquet, as well as other side events, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The visit will further consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various areas, and achieve more positive outcomes in the China-Peru comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said. 

Significantly, the state visit will mark the Chinese president's second visit to Peru in eight years. 

In June, Boluarte paid her first state visit to China as Peruvian president, during which the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of the Joint Action Plan between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Peru (2024-2029), as well as multiple bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as economic and trade cooperation, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, inspection and quarantine, and news media. 

Before the upcoming state visit, Xi also visited Peru in 2016. In a speech delivered at the Peruvian Congress on November 21, 2016, Xi expressed his admiration for the Inca civilization, praising the magnificence of Machu Picchu, the mesmerizing Nazca Lines, and the advanced local pottery, metallurgy and textile techniques. "These achievements continue to radiate the brilliance of wisdom," he said, Xinhua reported. 

For the past 10 consecutive years, China has been Peru's largest trading partner, and Peru is China's second-largest investment destination in Latin America. In 2023, bilateral trade reached $37.69 billion, according to official data. 

Deeper cooperation

With the upcoming state visit, there are high expectations for further elevating ties and strengthening trade and economic ties. Notable milestones include the Chancay Port, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Chancay Port has already become a catchphrase for even closer bonds and cooperation between China and Peru, with Peruvian nationals, from scholars to ordinary residents, constantly bringing up the project in interviews with the Global Times. 

"China is a big country globally and cooperates with countries around the world, but it also pays attention to cooperation with Peru. And with the Chancay Port, cooperation will be even greater," Marco Cam, owner of a Chifa in Lima's bustling China town, told the Global Times on Wednesday, as many locals enjoyed fried rice and other Chinese cuisine at the restaurant.

Chifa, which originates from the Cantonese term for "having meals," has become the term Peruvians use to refer to Chinese restaurants, underscoring the deep roots of Chinese culture in Peruvian society, fostered by long-standing bonds between the two nations. 

Cam, who was born in Lima to Chinese parents immigrated from China, said that the operation of the Chancay Port means more Peruvian products, including fresh fruits, will arrive in China faster and at a cheaper cost. 

The port's significance extends beyond bilateral trade between China and Peru, and its operation will enhance economic integration between Latin America and Asia, according to Omar Narrea, a researcher at the Centre for China and Asia-Pacific Studies of the University of the Pacific in Peru, adding that significant potential remains for China-Peru cooperation in many areas, including investment and technology. 

"I think that next investment from China will be in line of this new wave of investment with this technological approach, because we are very eager to develop technology in Peru and we are very eager to join the global value chain," Narrea told the Global Times. 

Peruvian officials are also seeking to attract additional Chinese investment, particularly in infrastructure.

"China is a very big investor, not the biggest one, but a very big investor in Peru. And we have so many opportunities to invest in infrastructure," Elmer Schialer Salcedo, Peru's Foreign Minister, said in an interview published by CCTV, on Wednesday, noting an infrastructure investment gap of over $150 billion.

Another major boost for bilateral cooperation will be the implementation of an upgraded FTA. In June, the two countries announced the substantive completion of negotiations on upgrading their FTA, which is expected to further expand bilateral trade significantly.

Since the China-Peru free trade agreement took effect in 2010, bilateral trade has surged exponentially. Over the past 14 years, Peru's exports to China have grown by more than 325.9 percent, and China has become Peru's largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years.

Palpable affinity

Amid growing ties and closer cooperation, a palpable affinity for China is also evident among Peruvians, as many are eager to highlight Chinese cultural influences in Peruvian society from food to language and express their favorable views of China.  

At the Plaza San Martin, a popular public space in Lima, a local resident named Juan approached the Global Times after seeing Chinese flags. "I love China, I love my Chinese friends, I love Chinese food too… we have hundreds of restaurants here called Chifa," Juan said. 

As consumers started to fill his Chifa during lunch time on Wednesday, Cam said that many ordinary Peruvian families eat Chinese food at least once a week. "Their absolute favorite is fried rice," he said.   

At the El Parque Chino (the Chinese Park), designed to reflect Peru-China ties through decorations and elements of a traditional Chinese garden, Johnny Aliaga, another local resident, praised China's emergence as the world's second-largest economy, while describing China using the words "big, technology and prosperity."

Joseph Cruz Soriano, a distinguished Peruvian Sinologist, said that many Peruvians are seeking to conduct business with China. "And many people are sending their children to China to study," Soriano told the Global Times in an interview, during which he showed his proficiency in the Chinese language and shared his life-long love for Chinese culture.