【By Observer News, Zhang Jingjuan】With the official operation of the Chancay Port, a key project under the "Belt and Road" initiative between China and Peru, the ship transportation volume between the two countries has been continuously rising. This port, which integrates advanced technology, intelligence, and environmental protection, not only attracts more shippers but also continues to draw high attention from the United States.

According to a report by Nikkei Asia on the 28th, one of the core highlights of Chancay Port is the use of China's most advanced automation technology. Visitors need to register using a facial recognition system before entering the port, and the port also adopts 5G technology, significantly improving the efficiency of trucks entering and exiting the port. In the port's operations center, staff can monitor in real-time the cargo loading and unloading dynamics of cranes through monitoring screens. Even without manual intervention, various equipment can operate stably, and there are almost no on-site workers seen within the entire port area.

Chancay Port is invested in and managed by COSCO Shipping Group, and it is a landmark cooperation project between China and Peru under the "Belt and Road" initiative. It is also the first port that China manages and operates in South America.

Gonzalo Rios, Deputy General Manager of the Chancay Project of COSCO Shipping Ports, said that Chancay Port is "one of the most advanced ports in the world," and it is like a miniature version of Shanghai Port, with environmental advantages such as seawater reuse.

This port, located about 80 kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru, officially opened on November 14, 2024. After its opening, goods from South America can be directly transported to Asia without going through Central or North America, greatly shortening the transportation time from the original 35 days to 23 days, and saving more than 20% in logistics costs.

After six months of trial operation, in early June 2025, Peruvian President Boric personally issued an operating license for Chancay Port, marking the formal start of the routine operation of South America's first smart and green port.

Chancay Port Operations Center, Nikkei Asia

Rios said that during the trial operation period, the transaction volume of the port reached approximately $1 billion, and the Peruvian government earned about 500 million soles (about $140 million). The annual throughput of Chancay Port is expected to reach 1.5 million TEU as planned.

"Chancay Port is expected to become a hub port in South and Central America. We expect further growth due to the expansion of production and infrastructure development in South American countries," Rios expressed confidence in the future development of the port.

Currently, Chancay Port has launched three main routes, including the Chancay-Shanghai bidirectional route, and three branch routes, namely the North Panama route, the Northern Chile route, and the Southern Chile route, totaling six routes. These routes directly cover neighboring countries such as Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador. Notably, the port's freight range covers not only China but also other Asian markets, such as transporting Peruvian blueberries directly to Indonesia and India.

In terms of investment and construction planning, COSCO Shipping has invested approximately $1.3 billion in this port, with a planned total investment of $3.5 billion. Its goal is to expand the number of berths from the current four to 15.

The value of Chancay Port goes beyond just port operations; it has the potential to change the trade pattern between South America and Asia, even making the long-term vision of direct shipping from the Atlantic coast of South America to Asia a reality. According to Agencia Brasil, on July 7, Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding with China, and both sides will jointly conduct feasibility studies to plan the construction of a railway crossing the entire South American continent, connecting the Atlantic coast and the Chancay Port in Peru.

Once this railway is built, compared to the current shipping route through the Panama Canal to Asia, it is expected to save up to about 12 days in freight time, further strengthening the logistics connectivity between South America and Asia.

In fact, before signing this memorandum of understanding, China had been negotiating with Brazil and Peru for several years on this railway project. As early as 2014, China together with these two South American countries planned a railway project extending from Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil westward across the South American continent to the port of Callao in Peru, but the project was once put on hold due to multiple factors such as technology, economy, and politics.

When Lula regained power in Brazil in 2023, this railway project saw a turning point. The Lula government highly values the process of South American regional integration and believes that the project is crucial for opening up access to the Pacific, deepening economic and trade relations with Asia, and promoting the export of agricultural products and minerals.

Economic data also confirms the necessity of cooperation between South America and China. Currently, about 30% of Brazil's exports go to China. Between 2000 and 2023, Brazil's trade with the United States increased 68 times, while the trade of 12 South American countries with China increased 40 times. Especially against the background of the Trump administration's excessive tariffs and pressure on companies not to use Chinese-built ports, this railway project has become even more important, seen as a core support for unleashing the potential of Chancay Port.

Rios, Nikkei Asia

However, the Chancay Port, built by Chinese investment, has always received concern from the United States, even being repeatedly hyped without basis.

When the port first opened, the then commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Laura Richardson, spread the so-called "China threat theory," claiming that Chancay Port could be used for both civilian and military purposes, and raised baseless concerns that Chinese warships might dock at the port in the future.

The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) further hyped the issue in its June report, stating that China has participated in 37 port projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, and listed Chancay Port as a "high-risk project." It claimed that "China's interest in ports in Latin America and the Caribbean is broader than previously known, and the risks are more diverse. These investments open the door for Beijing to gain strategic influence, collect sensitive data, and expand its geopolitical influence closer to the U.S. coast."

In response to the groundless concerns and false statements from the U.S., Rios directly refuted them: "We are a private company, and all our operational activities are solely for commercial purposes."

He explained that Peruvian law has strict and clear procedures for foreign warships docking at the country's ports, stating, "It is impossible to conduct military operations at Chancay Port." At the same time, Rios also urged Japanese companies to eliminate their concerns, saying that Peru is one of the most open countries in the world for foreign enterprises and investments, and Japanese companies should not hesitate to use Chancay Port out of fear of angering the United States.

Carlos Aquirre, Director of the Center for Asian Studies at the National University of San Marcos in Peru and an economics professor, pointed out that China provides markets for goods from Latin American countries and also offers investments to them. At the same time, China has not attempted to impose ideology or political models on the Latin American region.

He further compared, saying that the U.S. has tried to slow down China's economic participation in Latin America but has never provided an effective alternative. Taking Peru as an example, in 2010, exports to the U.S. accounted for more than 60% of Peru's total exports, while exports to China were around 14%. Now, exports to China account for about 33% of Peru's total exports, while exports to the U.S. have fallen below 30%. Therefore, the U.S. wants to exclude China but cannot provide an alternative. Meanwhile, last year, U.S. investment in Latin American countries decreased, while China's investment increased. If the U.S. really wants to compete with China, it must provide alternatives, offer more markets, and invest more.

This article is an exclusive work of Observer News. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7543509140304413184/

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