Peru's president seeks stronger ties

Visiting Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Zegarra has expressed her hope to further strengthen the bond between Peru and China, which began in the 19th century, and seek more investment and cooperation opportunities with the world's second-largest economy.

In a written interview with China Daily, Boluarte said the South American country has a great interest in further promoting people-to-people exchanges with China through the opening of direct flights and offering of scholarships.

Boluarte started on Tuesday her first state visit to China since taking office in 2022. Accompanied by a delegation including five ministers, the Peruvian president visited Shenzhen and Shanghai, where she met with business leaders, learned about China's achievements in science and technology innovation, and experienced related technologies.

On Thursday evening, she arrived in Beijing, the last leg of her five-day visit, for meetings with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders.

"I want to highlight that China was the country that provided the most support to Peru during the pandemic by donating 1 million vaccines, and we are very grateful to China for that cooperation," she said.

Regarding trade and investment, one of the issues high on her agenda during the visit, Boluarte said Peru seeks to promote the diversification of exports to China, especially those with higher added value, and aims to increase Chinese investment in her country, which is crucial for economic growth and job creation.

China is Peru's largest trading partner and its largest export destination, with bilateral trade exceeding $37.6 billion last year. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the two sides concluded the latest round of negotiations last week on upgrading their bilateral free trade agreement, which was signed in 2009.

"We have heard about the projections of certain Western institutions, but Peru trusts in the resilience of the Chinese economy. We believe that the strengths and determination of its people will help mitigate Western projections about China's future," the Peruvian president said.

According to Boluarte, her country and China enjoy a historical relationship, thanks to the migration of more than 100,000 Chinese nationals during the 19th century, significantly contributing to Peru's gastronomy, music, science, and culture.

"Today, the population of Chinese descent in Peru represents approximately 8 percent of our total population," she said, noting that Chinese words have influenced the vocabulary of Peruvian people's daily lives, such as kion (ginger), sillao (soy sauce), taypa (abundant), chifa (Chinese-Peruvian cuisine), and chaufa (fried rice).

Last month, Peru's Congress adopted a decision, with 108 votes in favor and zero against, to designate Feb 1 each year as "Peru-China Fraternity Day."

Boluarte said she believes that one way to promote cooperation between Peru and China that benefits both peoples is to deepen the exchange of students by providing more scholarships to each other's citizens.

"Using this scholarship cooperation as an example, this initiative could be extended to our partners in the Pacific Alliance, thus strengthening not only the relations between China and Peru but also between other countries in the region," she said.

The Peruvian president also said that it is the responsibility of Peru and China, as defenders of peace, to work together and solve the great conflicts that divide the world.

"I believe our work should focus on preserving peace, avoiding a Cold War mentality, and proposing real solutions to global issues that affect all of humanity, such as climate change, famines and natural disasters. These issues will persist if we do not work together on global solutions," she said.

Boluarte said China's leadership in the development of solar panels, electric mobility, and renewable energy is fundamental to solving many of the global challenges facing humanity.