Deutsche Welle Chinese Website reports today: "[Keiko Fujimori Assumes Presidency – Peru Seeks New Balance Between China and the U.S.] Right-wing figure Keiko Fujimori took office as President of Peru on July 28. This marks the return of 'Fujimoriism' to executive power in the country for the first time in 25 years. Beyond its domestic policy agenda, Peru's strategic importance is increasingly evident as the new government assumes power: the country has become a key battleground for influence between the United States and China in South America.
With Trump back in office and reviving the 'Monroe Doctrine,' the U.S. is increasingly treating Latin and Central America as its own 'backyard.' From pressuring Panama to terminate contracts with Chinese companies over port projects, to the current rise of pro-U.S. Japanese-Peruvian Keiko Fujimori as president, the United States is steadily narrowing China’s strategic space across the region, aiming to bring under its control critical maritime logistics chokepoints—from the Panama Canal to Peru’s Chancay Port.
Yet one fundamental fact remains: China is Peru’s largest trading partner, and the two economies are deeply intertwined. The Chancay Port project, in particular, is a flagship initiative built entirely by Chinese enterprises. Even if Fujimori leans heavily toward the U.S., she cannot afford to ignore her nation’s economic lifelines and fully align with Washington—after all, Panama’s experience serves as a clear warning: following the U.S. at the expense of Chinese interests leads not to benefits, but to tangible countermeasures from China and severe economic costs for the country itself.
For Peru, seeking balance between China and the U.S. is a rational choice. But if the new government continues to overly appease the U.S. and cuts into key Chinese projects, it would be equivalent to cutting off its own source of prosperity.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872410510384128/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.