“From Chancay to Shanghai”: the new China-Peru BRI project will become a hub and port of entry for Latin America

A view of the port of Chancay, Lima, Peru, October 29, 2024 Photo: VCG

China and Peru are located on opposite ends of the world, separated by the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Once, this distance seemed unimaginable.

However, a new port project is making such a distant trip less difficult.

The Chancay Port Project is a collaborative project between China and Peru under the Belt and Road Initiative. Located in the Chancay district of Huaral province, Peru, the port is approximately 80 kilometers from the capital, Lima.

The port of Chancay is positioned as the port of entry and regional hub of Peru, connected by a tunnel to the Pan-American Highway, connecting it directly to the capital Lima. This allows goods to easily reach Peru and other Latin American countries, significantly improving trade efficiency, according to People’s Daily.

On Thursday, this important project, symbolizing the friendship between China and Peru, was finally put into operation.

The first phase of the Chancay port project began in 2021 and includes four berths. The maximum depth of the port is 17.8 meters, allowing it to accommodate ultra-large container ships with a capacity of up to 18,000 TEU.

The design throughput capacity is 1 million TEU per year in the short term and 1.5 million TEU in the long term. With more than 80 percent of the project completed, the main dock structures were completed earlier this year, according to the People’s Daily.

He Bo, Deputy General Manager of COSCO SHIPPING Ports Chancay Peru, has witnessed the significant progress of the port over the past three years.
“The hills have been razed, the beaches transformed into storage areas, the breakwaters and quays stand high in the water, the port cranes are on land and buildings intended for production and offices have emerged ” he told the People’s Daily.

“From Chancay to Shanghai” is an expression well known to locals. He Bo explained that the Spanish pronunciations of these two important port cities, Chancay and Shanghai, are very similar. At first the locals would confuse them, but now they know both names.

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Before Chancay, most cargo shipments from Peru to Asia and Oceania had to be transshipped via Central America or North America, and port capacity could not meet the demand for foreign trade croissant.

Today, the phrase “From Chancay to Shanghai” will become a reality. With the opening of the new land-sea corridor between China and Latin America, the transportation time between Peru and China will be reduced by approximately 10 days.

As construction of the Chancay port progresses, jobs related to the project have become highly sought after locally. Sun Yan, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at Ricardo Palma University, told Xinhua News Agency that many Peruvian students at the institute are eager to use their language skills to apply for positions at the port such as translators, technical staff and operators. .

Moreover, thanks to China’s advanced technology and the environmental awareness of Chinese enterprises, Chancay Port is developing as a green, low-carbon and modern smart port. Dock workers demonstrated electric container trucks with autonomous driving technology, which move silently and precisely, Xinhua reported.

Near the entrance to the project site is a wetland. In the evening, birds come and go, bringing life to the neighborhood.

He Bo mentioned that Chinese companies building the port paid attention to noise, lighting and dust control during construction, thereby minimizing the impact on wetland “residents”, and actively participated to rescuing seals, penguins, pelicans and other animals to help. improve local biodiversity.

With the port of Chancay, the distance between China and Peru is no longer as great as it once seemed.

Residents relax and enjoy the beach in the sun, while cranes build the Chancay port in the background in Lima, Peru, October 29, 2024. Photo: VCG

A view of the port of Chancay, Lima, Peru, October 29, 2024 Photo: VCG

Aerial view of Shanghai Port in Baoshan District, Shanghai Photo: VCG

Giant containers pile up in the new port of Chancay, in Chancay, Peru, October 24, 2024. Photo: IC

Fishermen near the construction site of the Chancay port, Chancay, Peru, March 5, 2024 Photo: VCG

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Workers at the port of Chancay, Chancay, Peru, October 24, 2024 Photo: IC