How China, Peru open up a road of common prosperity

The gold masks of the Incas unearthed in Peru are strikingly similar to gold masks uncovered at an archeological site at Sanxingdui in China; the Intihuatana stone on an altar in the ancient city of Machu Picchu was in fact based on the same principle that inspired the creation of sundials in ancient China; the people of the ancient Shu kingdom in what is now southwest China's Sichuan Province expressed reverence for the sun and the Sun God through the image of a soaring sunbird; the Inca civilization expressed its sun worship the same way.

These similarities between China and Peru were observed in a signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping published on Thursday before his third visit to the country. 

Titled "China-Peru Friendship: Setting Sail Toward an Even Brighter Future" in the Peruvian newspaper El Peruano, President Xi provided illustrations of the bond of friendship and affection, a legacy that shines brightly across the ages through the two countries' respective histories.

Shared future goals

President Xi arrived in Lima Thursday for his third meeting with his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte in a year.

China and Peru, both ancient civilizations, are endowed with wisdom and broad vision from their profound historical legacies, allowing them to clearly see the development direction of history, align with the trends of the times, and always adhere to equality, mutual respect, trust and learning, making China-Peru ties a model of solidarity and cooperation among countries of different sizes, systems and cultures, Xi said during his talks with Boluarte.

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen the exchange of governance experience and enhance strategic mutual trust. He called for solid support for each other's core interests and key concerns, while deepening cooperation in areas such as fighting corruption and illegal fishing.

Both China and Peru advocate multilateralism and oppose protectionism, President Xi said, adding that China fully supports the work of Peru as the host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and is ready to work with all parties to ensure the success of the meeting and promote the building of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.

Boluarte noted that Xi's visit will surely become an important milestone in bilateral relations, open up a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic partnership between Peru and China, enable the two peoples to jointly build and enjoy a lasting and more prosperous future, and promote the building of a community with a shared future between the two countries.

New stage

President Xi said in his signed article that the Chancay Port project is expected to generate $4.5 billion in yearly revenues for Peru and create over 8,000 direct jobs.

The opening of the Chancay Port makes "from Chancay to Shanghai" a reality and becomes an important bridge between Latin America and Asia as well as a key engine for Peru's economic growth, which will strongly promote more efficient and convenient connectivity and trade between Peru and other Latin American countries, as well as China and even Asia at large, and push for sustainable development of the two countries and other regional countries, Boluarte said during the meeting with Xi.

In recent years, trade volume between the two countries grew at an average annual rate of 14.6 percent from 2016 to 2023, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs.

In the first 10 months of this year, bilateral trade jumped 16.8 percent year on year to 254.69 billion yuan (about $35 billion), the data showed.

Peru is the first Latin American country to sign a package Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China. On Thursday, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of a protocol on upgrading the FTA.

Cultural exchanges are a crucial pillar of interaction for China and Latin America, as Xi has repeatedly stressed that people-to-people amity is vital to sound state-to-state relations. 

President Xi urged the two sides to shoulder the responsibility of the times of mutual learning among civilizations, advocate strengthening international dialogue among civilizations, and explore the establishment of a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

China has established approximately 180 sister-city partnerships with 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting their growing cultural and people-to-people exchanges. 

The two sides should also strengthen the synergy of cultural policies and deepen exchanges and cooperation in culture, art, education and cultural heritage protection, the Chinese president said, adding that China is willing to increase the number of scholarships for Peru, and raising hopes that young people of the two countries get to know each other and carry forward China-Peru friendship from generation to generation.

In recent years, the platforms for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Latin America have become increasingly diverse, from the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Year and the Latin American and Caribbean Art Season to the "Bridge of the Future" China-Latin American Young Leaders Training Campus.

China is ready to work with Peru to push the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new stage for the betterment of the peoples of the two countries, Xi noted.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a plan for Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries and the protocol on upgrading the bilateral free trade agreement, as well as the exchange of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in economy and trade, industrial investment, industrial parks, education and green development. The two sides also issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership.

During President Xi's state visit to Peru, CGTN, in collaboration with the New Era International Communication Research Institute and the Center for Advanced National Studies of Peru, launched the first-ever survey on "Peru's Favorability towards China in 2024" targeting Peruvian respondents. The survey revealed that respondents generally held positive views of the traditional friendship between China and Peru, as well as the achievements of their practical cooperation, expressing optimism about building a "Peruvian model" for China-Latin America relations and fostering high-level cooperation among Global South countries.

Approximately 89.6 percent of Peruvian respondents have a favorable impression of China, while 97.7 percent view China as an important country, according to the survey. Additionally, respondents expressed a strong willingness to visit China, with 94 percent looking forward to traveling, visiting or studying there. Among young respondents aged 18 to 24, this percentage rises to 95.9 percent.