Xinhua News Agency, Lima, November 9, Title: China and Peru jointly build the “the Belt and Road” to benefit both countries and the world
On November 8, the annual meeting on practical cooperation theme of “the Belt and Road” co built by China and Peru, co sponsored by Xinhua News Agency, China Economic Information Service, Peru Andes News Agency and China Southern Power Grid Corporation, was held in Lima, Peru. Over the years, the joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” has fully stimulated China Peru economic and trade exchanges, promoted the level of practical cooperation, and has become an important driving force for the benefit of both countries, Latin America and the world.
Peru is one of the earliest Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, establish comprehensive strategic partnerships with China, and sign a package of free trade agreements with China. Since the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” in 2019, the two countries have achieved fruitful cooperation in the joint construction of the “the Belt and Road”, and increasingly closer cooperation in economic, trade, finance, people to people and cultural fields.
From the popularity of Peruvian alpaca plush toys in the Chinese market, to the popularity of Peruvian specialty agricultural products such as blueberries, grapes, and avocados among Chinese consumers; From the announcement of substantial completion of the China Peru Free Trade Agreement upgrade negotiations, to China becoming Peru’s largest trading partner and largest export market for 10 consecutive years; From the vicissitudes of Qiankai Port in Peru to China’s green technology to help Peru’s sustainable development… China and Peru have achieved fruitful results in the practical cooperation of jointly building the “the Belt and Road”, which embodies the common aspiration of the two peoples for joint development, and also shows the bright prospects for future cooperation between the two countries.
Both China and Peru have a profound history and splendid civilization. The two peoples, thousands of miles apart, share the same spirit and similar ideas. Peru is one of the Latin American countries with the earliest arrival and largest settlement of Chinese people. Over the years, overseas Chinese have shared weal and woe with the local people in this beautiful land. Peruvians affectionately call the Chinese people “fellow townsmen”. The Chinese Cantonese word “eating” has evolved into a general term for Chinese restaurants. In recent years, cultural exchanges between China and Peru have become increasingly close. More and more Chinese tourists are coming to Peru, and the Peruvian folk song “The Song of the Mountain Eagle” is widely loved by the Chinese people. The Peruvian Inca Civilization Exhibition has successively appeared in museums in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and other places. In May this year, Peru announced that February 1st would be designated as “Peru China Friendship Day” every year… These vivid stories of people to people exchanges continue to add luster to the friendly exchanges between China and Peru, becoming a beautiful epitome of mutual learning and cultural exchange between the two countries’ civilizations.
At present, the joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” has entered a new stage of high-quality development, which will inject inexhaustible impetus for China to join hands with the “Global South”, including Latin America, to jointly move towards modernization. Policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people to people connectivity… jointly build the “the Belt and Road” to make China deeply linked with Peru and other Latin American countries, and promote China Peru and China Latin America to work together to achieve common development.
The landmark project of the “the Belt and Road” jointly built by China and Peru, the Qiankai Port Project, will not only help Peru improve its maritime transport efficiency, but also strongly promote its scientific, technological and industrial development and benefit local people. During the construction period, the project has created 1300 direct employment opportunities and approximately 8000 indirect employment opportunities for the local area. After completion, Qiankai Port will become a new maritime hub connecting Latin America and Asia. In addition, the cooperation between China and Peru in the field of green environmental protection is of great significance. Chinese new energy vehicles have a broad market in Peru, and Chinese enterprises operating photovoltaic power stations in Peru have brought green technology, which will help Peru achieve sustainable development and contribute to addressing climate change. The “2024 International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean” report released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean on October 23 shows that international trade in Latin America and the Caribbean is gradually recovering this year, and China will be the fastest-growing market for its exports among the region’s major trading partners. According to previous statistics from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the total trade volume of goods between China and Latin America increased 35 times from 2000 to 2022.
The Latin American proverb says, “There is no match for concerted efforts.” There is also an old saying in China: “When people are united, Mount Taishan will move.” Facing the future, under the framework of the “the Belt and Road” initiative, China and Peru will continue to work together to explore new opportunities. China Peru cooperation is gathering a strong force, adding new color to the beautiful blueprint of common prosperity of the two countries, Latin America and the world.