The President of China, Xi Jinping, has opened a new megaport in Peru, which is the first Chinese-financed port in South America.
This is written by the AFP news agency.
The port is located in Chancay, about 80 kilometers north of the capital Lima, and a total of nearly DKK 25 billion will be invested in it.
According to AFP, the large project is a sign of increased Chinese influence on the continent.
– We are witnessing the creation of a new land and sea channel between Asia and Latin America in the new era, says Xi.
The port is to be a trade hub for China in Peru, which has been one of the fastest growing Latin American economies in recent decades.
Right now, however, Peru is threatened by expected US tariff increases under the incoming president of the US, Donald Trump.
– China plays a major role in the growth of our country’s economy, said Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, at the opening of the port.
The company Cosco, which is owned by the Chinese state, owns 60 percent of the port, while 40 percent is owned by the Peruvian company Compañía Minera. This is written by the news agency dpa.
Cosco will establish a direct route to Shanghai, which should reduce the ship journey to about 23 days.
Until now, ships from Peru have mainly traveled via Manzanillo in Mexico and Long Beach in the US, making the trip 40 days long.
The new port is part of China’s grand “Belt and Road” initiative, which is a key part of President Xi Jinping’s foreign policy and includes plans for global infrastructure and energy projects.
/ritzau/
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
