Chancay Port: A new gateway to Latin America

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The highly anticipated Chancay Port has recently commenced operations in Peru, marking a significant milestone in international cooperation and infrastructure development. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Peruvian counterpart, Dina Boluarte, virtually attended the inauguration ceremony, emphasizing the importance of this Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project.

With the port now open, the one-way shipping time between China and Peru will be shortened to 23 days, which is expected to cut of logistics costs by more than 20 percent and create over 8,000 direct jobs in Peru every year. This milestone signals that China's Belt and Road Initiative has entered a new historical era in South America.

The total investment in Chancay Port exceeds $3.5 billion. Chancay Port is not only a deep-water port, but also the first smart and green port in South America. It will bring huge benefits to Peru, and create a large number of trade and investment opportunities

The port serves as a gateway connecting land and sea, as well as Asia and Latin America. In reality, the joint construction of the BRI has taken root and blossomed in Peru, marking the birth of a new land-sea channel linking Asia and Latin America in the new era. Peruvian Minister of Labor and Employment Promotion Daniel Maurate said that for Peru, the completion and opening of the Chancay Port means the beginning of a new era.

The opening of Chancay Port is the most significant news during the APEC leaders' meeting. As a sea and land infrastructure project jointly constructed by the Chinese and Peruvian governments, the Port of Chancay is completely oriented toward the well-being of local people, and aims to link international economic and trade activities with the region. Peru can attract foreign electric vehicle assembly companies to build factories by establishing special economic zones, thereby promoting the coordinated development of industrial chains such as copper cables and lithium batteries.

Chancay Port does not seek to become a "wedge" in the geopolitical conflicts between major powers. However, some Western media have irresponsibly portrayed this huge project as "a new point of contention between China and the United States in South America" or claimed that "China is driving the United States away," and that China's infrastructure construction will bring conflicts with local fishermen and damage to the local ecological environment.

Regardless of the Western media's narrative, local Peruvian experts have warmly welcomed the port, believing that Chancay Port will spur a boom in infrastructure construction across Latin America.

The deputy mayor of Chancay stated that everyone in the Gagliano area is looking forward to this project. This senior official believes this mega-port will bring many opportunities, especially for young people who want to study and work. The deputy mayor noted that the area needs technicians, shops and hotels, and that the local residents must prepare their city for whatever the future holds.

"Empower, Include, Grow" is the theme of this year's APEC meeting, and Chancay Port is a direct reflection of this vision. This development project will light up APEC and demonstrate China's goodwill toward Latin American countries.

The author Wang Yingliang earned a PhD from the Center for American Studies, Fudan University.

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