Stories of China's major-country diplomacy: Chancay Port serves as bridge between South America and Asia

Before joining the Chancay Port project, I worked for over 40 years in government departments in Peru. I was familiar with the pragmatic cooperation between China and Peru and hoped for an opportunity to personally participate in a major national project.

In 2019, I received an invitation to join the Chancay Port project, and my life took a new direction.

Gonzalo Rios (Photo/Qiu Yan)

This year, I was on site to witness the port's opening and to see Peru-China pragmatic cooperation enter a new stage.

On the evening of Nov. 14, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attended the opening ceremony of the Chancay Port in the Government Palace in Lima, Peru, via video link.

Members of my team and I were present during the ceremony at Chancay Port.

After the two heads of state jointly issued the command to open the port, operations began in the evening. The towering quay cranes lifted cargo in a well-coordinated manner, while the COSCO Shipping Peru and the Xin Shanghai, two container ships operated by China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited (COSCO Shipping Group), began unloading and loading operations, respectively.

Farmers harvest blueberries at a farm in Trujillo, Peru. (People's Daily/Yan Huan)

Meanwhile, another vessel of COSCO Shipping Group, named the COSCO Tengfei, slowly sailed away from the dock, sounded its horn as it embarked on its voyage.

At the same time, autonomous container trucks moved effectively around the port.

No words can fully capture how I felt at that moment. Every effort we made over the past five years had been for this moment. The cooperative blueprint jointly charted by China and Peru was finally becoming a reality.

It is very inspiring and encouraging to see such a modern port take shape in just a few years, President Xi said in his speech at the opening ceremony.

"From Chancay to Shanghai, the Belt and Road Initiative is bearing fruit in Peru before our eyes. A new Asia-Latin America land-sea corridor for the new era is taking shape," President Xi said.

Photo shows students taking a computer class at a school in Colombia. (People's Daily/Wang Yuan)

The opening of Chancay Port is a historic moment that all the people of Peru are proud of. The recognition from both heads of state and their praise for the builders filled me with honor and gave me great confidence in the future of the port.

I believe this port will serve as a bridge for exchanges between two ancient civilizations and deepen the friendship between the peoples of China and Peru.

As a barren beach was transformed into a modern port, the blueprint for China-Peru cooperation has slowly unfolded.

The port shortens shipping time from Peru to China to just 23 days, cutting logistics costs by more than 20 percent, and generates $4.5 billion in annual revenue for Peru. These figures demonstrate the immense development potential of Chancay Port.

The Peruvian government is considering establishing a special economic zone around the port, which will inject new vitality into regional economic development.

Since the construction of Chancay Port began, the project has not only created over 8,000 direct jobs, but has also spurred development in surrounding areas, improving the lives of countless families.

Chancay Port carries my dreams as well as the dreams of many other Peruvians. It embodies the hard work of the builders from both China and Peru.

As a member of this historic project, I will continue working hard to ensure the port's successful operations, turning it into a cornerstone that will truly change the region's economic landscape.

Vessel COSCO SHIPPING Thames arrives at Chancay Port, Peru, Dec. 20, 2024. (Photo/Qiu Yan)

I am confident that the route "from Chancay to Shanghai" will become a road of prosperity for promoting the shared development of China, Peru, and Latin America, bringing opportunities and hope to more people.

I firmly believe that Chancay Port is not just a port; it is a bridge and a link that connects South America and Asia more closely.

"The completion of Chancay Port will enable Peru to put in place a multi-dimensional, diverse and efficient network of connectivity spanning from coast to inland, from Peru to Latin America and further on to the Caribbean. It will also help build an Inca Trail of the New Era with Chancay Port as its starting point, thus boosting the overall development and integration of the region," President Xi said in his signed article published in Peruvian media outlet El Peruano.

President Xi's grand vision deeply inspired me. Since Phase I of the Chancay Port project was completed, more and more businesses from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and other countries have come to seek cooperation, hoping to export more high-quality products to China via the port.

Every time I hear entrepreneurs describe their aspirations, I feel proud of the work we are doing, because this is exactly why we built this port.

(Gonzalo Rios is deputy general manager of COSCO Shipping Ports Chancay Peru. The article is compiled by People's Daily reporter Song Yiran based on an interview with him.)