Lima, November 14 (Xinhua) – Heart to Heart | Qian Kai Goes to Shanghai, China and Peru Explore New Path of Common Development
The sea breeze brushes against my face. Looking at the Pacific Ocean from the Pan American Highway in Peru, amidst the vast waves of smoke, tall shore bridges are neatly arranged, breakwaters are surrounded like giant arms, dock workers are busy shuttling back and forth, and the brand new Qiankai Port is about to be put into formal operation.
Those who are united in their aspirations do not consider mountains and seas as distant. Across thousands of miles of ocean, China and Peru are writing stories of sincere cooperation, mutual understanding, and matchmaking in the new era, continuously injecting strong strength into the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Latin America.
Carrying the hope of thriving towards the sea
At the entrance of the highway into Qiankai City, there is a city sculpture shaped like a big fish leaping from the sea. Not far from the sculpture, dozens of wooden small fishing boats are anchored on the sea surface. In the past, many locals could only hope for more tourists in the capital Lima to pack their own fishing boats and go out to sea to increase their income. Now, as the giant port is about to be built, people are eagerly looking forward to a new opportunity to move towards prosperity.
23-year-old local resident Ruth Jimones Bazin told reporters that over the years, she has witnessed the entire process of port construction, from leveling the surrounding land, digging tunnels, to building new roads and overpasses connecting to the Pan American Highway. I believe there will be a huge change here, and the lives of several generations in the nearby area will be altered by Qian Kaigang
The first phase of the Qiankai Port project was built in 2021 and includes four dock berths. The port can accommodate ultra large container ships with 18000 TEUs, and can achieve a design throughput capacity of 1 million TEUs per year in the near future and 1.5 million TEUs in the long term.
Peruvian economists predict that Qiankai Port will create an economic benefit equivalent to 1.8% of Peru’s gross domestic product annually. The construction of Qiankai Port will create a total of approximately 1300 direct employment positions and approximately 8000 indirect employment positions.
Gina Pando is a local of Qiankai and is responsible for maintaining community relations in the Qiankai project department of China Harbour. Pan Duo said that the trust and expectations of the local people towards the project are increasing day by day with the continuous progress of the construction of Qiankai Port. Many people have obtained stable jobs, and some companies have built football fields and held cultural activities in the local area, significantly improving the quality of life of local residents.
Engineer Omar Alayo participated in the tunnel project of China Railway Tenth Bureau in Qiankai Port. In his view, Qian Kai Port has opened another door to the world for Peru, bringing a ‘golden opportunity’.
Chinese companies have introduced remote control automated loading and unloading equipment, electric intelligent trucks, and 5G communication equipment in the construction process of Qiankai Port, committed to building Qiankai Port into a modern port that is low-carbon, green, and digitally intelligent.
Regarding this, Carlos Akino Rodriguez, director of the Asian Studies Center at the National University of San Marcos in Peru, said that Qiankai Port is not only a port, but also a logistics, technology, and operations center that “will bring us new technologies, new experiences, and cultivate new talents”.
Co draw a picture of land sea connectivity
In Spanish, Qian Kai sounds similar to Shanghai. In recent years, with the advancement of the Qiankai Port project, local media often use the catchy phrase “from Qiankai to Shanghai” to describe the future China Latin America land sea new channel. After Qiankai Port is put into operation, the sea freight time between Peru and China is expected to be significantly shortened, and products from Peru and neighboring countries will be transported more smoothly and efficiently to China and Asia, greatly driving the development of goods trade and port economy in Latin America.
Not long ago, at the 7th CIIE held in Shanghai, Peruvian craftsman Oswaldo Mamani’s alpaca wool crafts were once again warmly welcomed. In recent years, the shipment volume of his alpaca exhibits has gradually increased, and this year he sent a container of products. Mamani has been following the construction of Qiankai Port and believes that this new logistics channel will enable his products to reach the Chinese market faster. I also want to promote more alpaca leather products, alpaca blankets, and carpets to the Chinese market. “Mamani is full of expectations for the future.
Peruvian Minister of Agriculture Development and Irrigation Angel Manuel Manero said that after the operation of the Qiankai Port, the transportation cost of goods between Peru and China is expected to be reduced by half, which is of great significance for agricultural exporting countries like Peru. For example, Peruvian mangoes previously took 34 days to arrive in China, and by the time they arrived, they were already very mature. If the transportation time were shortened, they could be better preserved
China’s advanced technology and rich experience in digital economy, green development and other fields are expected to add new impetus to China Peru practical cooperation and high-quality joint construction of the “the Belt and Road”. The pragmatic cooperation between China and Peru is steadily advancing, bringing new development opportunities for Chinese enterprises and adding luster to Peru’s sustainable development, including the road tunnel leading to the ancient Inca civilization site of Machu Picchu, the road connecting the Andes mountain area and tropical rainforest region, and the Rapatici ó n photovoltaic power station built in the desert.
Peruvian Minister of Transport and Communications Raul Reyes said that the “the Belt and Road” initiative is committed to developing fair trade on the basis of cooperation and mutual benefit. While building infrastructure, Peru and China have also established tacit understanding and trust.
Raise the sails of destiny and shared destiny high
The Chilean newspaper “Three O’Clock” commented that Qian Kai Port has “strategic significance” in strengthening the connectivity between Latin America and China, providing broad space for the long-term development of Latin American and Chinese economic and trade relations.
Peru is one of the earliest Latin American countries to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and also one of the earliest Latin American countries to sign a package of free trade agreements with China. Nowadays, after the completion of Qiankai Port, it will become a new hub port and Pacific gateway port in Latin America, which will attract the attention of the political, business and media circles in the entire Latin American region.
Nowadays, the annual trade volume between China and Latin America is nearly 500 billion US dollars, with China firmly ranking as the second largest trading partner in Latin America and the largest trading partner of countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Peru. China has signed free trade agreements with five Latin American countries, namely Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.
From the reconstruction project of the Belgrano Freight Railway in Argentina, to the North South Expressway project in Jamaica, and to the Phoenix Industrial Park in Trinidad and Tobago… one major project after another continues to advance and land, promoting connectivity, creating development opportunities, benefiting people’s livelihoods, and lighting up the hope of common development.
At present, China has signed a memorandum of understanding with 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries to jointly build the “the Belt and Road”. With the cooperation of jointly building the “the Belt and Road”, China Latin America relations have continued to deepen and the road of friendly cooperation across the Pacific has become wider and wider.
A Chinese poem says, “We know each other far and wide, and even thousands of miles are neighbors.” A Latin American proverb says, “A true friend can touch your heart from the other side of the world.” The story of cooperation across oceans continues, and the friendship between the Chinese and Latin American peoples is becoming increasingly profound. Looking towards the future, China and Peru, as well as China and Latin America, will continue to walk side by side on the path of common development and prosperity, writing a new chapter in the era of building a community with a shared future for China and Latin America.