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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Lima for a state visit to Peru and the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, Nov. 14, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Peru is extremely important, not just for the inauguration of the Chancay Port, which is a great opportunity not only for Peru but also for the entire Latin America region, Juan José Santiváñez, interior minister of Peru, told the Global Times on Thursday local time, expressing appreciation for the trip. 

Xi arrived in Lima, capital of Peru, on Thursday for a state visit to Peru and the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

“The visit of the President of China is extremely important, not only for the inauguration of the new Chancay Port, which turns out to be a great opportunity for Peru, but also for all of Latin America. We appreciate the visit,” Santiváñez told the Global Times, while holding a copy of the Thursday edition of the Peruvian newspaper El Peruano, which featured a signed article by the Chinese president.   

Santiváñez further said that the visit will strengthen the ties between China and Peru and expressed great expectations for its outcomes. 

“The expectation we have regarding China is extremely high. Today we have the virtual inauguration of the Port of Chancay, which definitively places Peru as one of the main players in Latin America, becoming the most important hub, and will definitely contribute greatly to the economy of Peru,” the Peruvian interior minister said.

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

“This is not only an important project under Belt and Road cooperation, but also the first smart port in South America. The first phase of the project, when completed, will reduce the sea shipping time from Peru to China to 23 days, thus cutting logistics costs by at least 20 percent. It is expected to generate $4.5 billion in yearly revenues for Peru and create over 8,000 direct jobs,” read the article.

The signed article garnered great attention at the Lima Convention Center, the main venue for the APEC meeting which was filled with reporters from various countries and regions on Thursday. While the Peruvian Interior Minister carried the newspaper during media interviews, others were eager to present it.

“This is our newspaper from today, Thursday, 14th in November. We have today a message, a very important message, of the President of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, who arrives today in Peru,” César Chaman, editor general of Agencia Andina, told the Global Times on Thursday.

César Chaman, editor general of Agencia Andina, holds a copy of El Peruano newspaper in Lima, Peru on November 14, 2024. Photo: Wang Qi/GT

Both Agencia Andina and El Peruano are official media outlets in Peru. With a palpable sense of excitement, Chaman held up the front page of the newspaper to fully display it before the camera, while speaking to the Global Times.  

“This is a very important material to read and to understand the kind of relationship between Peru and China,” Chaman said, adding that he hopes that the bilateral relationship will expand into more areas such as environmental protection, energy and social development, in addition to investments in infrastructure. 

Sandra Gonzales, head of the Marketing and Sales Department of Editora Peru, whose outlets include Agencia Andina and El Peruano, also keenly introduced the newspaper and shared the Chinese president’s signed article. 

After showing the front page, she flipped to the full page article inside the newspaper, while speaking to the Global Times.

“El Peruano is an official newspaper in Peru and in this edition, I can present this important article. This article is from the Chinese president,” Gonzales said. “It’s important to mention that Peru and China have good relationships.”