"The benefits of cooperation with China are obvious" (I am serving as an ambassador in China (103)) Peru | China | Ambassador
Recent photo of Peruvian Ambassador to China, Marco Balarezo. Overseas network Lu Ning telephoto
In Lima, the capital of Peru, people wear traditional clothing to participate in local traditional activities. Photographed by Mariana Basso
Within a week, traveling from Beijing to Chengdu and then to Xi'an, participating in exchange activities and attending the opening ceremony of exhibitions... This is one of the daily itineraries of Peruvian Ambassador to China, Marco Balarezo. After arriving in China in March this year, Balarezo quickly began a fast-paced work mode. "There are many goals that I want to achieve during my tenure, one of which is to open a direct flight route from China to the capital of Peru," Balarezo said in a recent interview with this newspaper.
"China has a high level of modernization"
Being appointed as the Ambassador to China is Balarezo's first visit to China, but he is not unfamiliar with China. Peru is the country with the highest number of overseas Chinese in South America. Peruvians refer to Chinese restaurants as "eating" in Cantonese and Chinese friends as "hometown" in Spanish. "When I was in Peru, I had many Chinese friends," said Balarezo. "China is a great country with close relations with Peru. Serving as an ambassador to China is an honor and a heavy responsibility in my career."
Crossing the ocean, Balarezo eagerly embarks on a new journey of exploring China. A trip to Chongqing shortly after arriving in China left many beautiful memories for Balaleso. He smiled and said that authentic Chongqing hotpot is "delicious, but really too spicy.". Not only is there spicy hot pot unforgettable, but also Chongqing's unique urban landscape. The Yangtze River and Jialing River pass through the city, and the entire city is built along the mountains, facing the river, and stacked on top of each other, all of which make Balaleso exclaim "too special". What impressed him the most was that the people of Chongqing lived their days with relish. "China has developed very well and people's livelihoods are guaranteed. My first impression is that China has a high level of modernization," said Balarezo.
Balarezo believes that China's high-quality development is related to all aspects of economic and social development. Chinese path to modernization contains a unique world view. China pursues mutual benefit and win-win results when dealing with the world. China hopes to achieve common development with other countries, especially developing countries. "The global development initiative proposed by China is very important and will help achieve the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said Balarezo.
"Although alpaca dolls are small, they have a big market."
Balarezo is familiar with the story of Peruvian alpaca dolls becoming famous at the CIIE. Open any Chinese e-commerce platform and you'll be overwhelmed by a variety of adorable and adorable alpaca dolls. Balarezo flipped through the buyer show in the comments section and happily said, "Chinese consumers really like Peruvian alpaca dolls. Although alpaca dolls are small, they have a big market. Peruvian quinoa, grapes and other agricultural products are also very popular in China, and Peru is still the largest supplier of avocado to China."
More and more Peruvian products are entering thousands of households in China, thanks to the smooth implementation of the China Peru Free Trade Agreement, which is the first package of free trade agreements signed between China and Latin American countries. Balarezo stated that the Peru China Free Trade Agreement officially came into effect in 2010, and Peru China trade entered a "zero tariff era", with both sides implementing zero tariffs on over 90% of their products. Since then, trade between Peru and China has fully flowed, and China has been Peru's largest trading partner and main export destination for many consecutive years. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between Peru and China reached 34.6 billion US dollars, and there was a trade surplus with China. At present, both sides are actively promoting negotiations on upgrading the free trade agreement, and conducting comprehensive and in-depth consultations on topics such as cross-border service trade, investment, intellectual property, and e-commerce. "The Chinese market is very important to Peru, and we hope to take a differentiated approach and explore the high-end market with personalized products. For example, although the Chinese textile market is fiercely competitive, high-quality Peruvian cotton and alpaca products can also find a place. Nowadays, many Peruvian companies come to China to seek business opportunities." Balarezo said, many Chinese companies do business in Peru, not only hiring many local employees, but also driving the development of upstream and downstream enterprises and driving employment in Peru.
China and Peru have formed a pattern of economic and trade cooperation where "you have me, and I have you". Balarezo has a clear understanding of the harm of arguments such as "decoupling and chain breaking" and "risk reduction". "'Decoupling 'carries risks for everyone, as we live in the same global village and depend on each other in different fields.' Decoupling 'is equivalent to artificially cutting off the industrial and supply chains, setting obstacles to normal trade exchanges. Peru opposes any form of' decoupling ', is a very open economy, firmly upholds the multilateral trading system, and hopes to develop economic and trade relations with all countries.' Balarezo said that as the host of the 2024 APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting, Peru looks forward to working together with China and other members to voice the defense of the multilateral trading system. Peru is also a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and Barreso expressed appreciation for China's application to join the CPTPP. He said that China's proactive benchmarking against the high standards of CPTPP is a positive step, releasing signals that the world's second largest economy is expanding its opening up and supporting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.
"Latin American countries should become friends with China"
In the blueprint for deepening pragmatic cooperation between China and Peru, Qian Kaigang has a special location. Qiankai Port is the first large-scale transportation infrastructure project implemented by China in Peru, and also the landmark project of the "the Belt and Road" in Latin America. Balarezzo said that the Port of Chanca, located near Lima, the capital of Peru, is a large natural deep-water port that will become an important transportation hub and logistics center along the South Pacific coast after completion.
"The current shipping time from China to Peru is 35 to 40 days, and after the completion of Qiankai Port, it will be shortened to about 23 days, which will profoundly change the shipping situation from South America to China." Balarezo said that with the completion of Qiankai Port, the influx of logistics and people will drive employment, promote economic development, and possibly develop industrial parks. Under the framework of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", a number of successful industrial park projects have emerged in recent years. Peru is full of expectations for the important role that Qiankai Port will play in economic and social development. Balarezo believes that Qian Kaigang fully demonstrates the positive impact of the "the Belt and Road" on the development of Peru China relations. The "the Belt and Road" not only promotes policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth trade, and financial integration between the two countries, but also promotes people to people connectivity. "We are vigorously promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation in fields such as education, culture, and tourism between the two countries, and striving to do better. If China has an airline that opens a direct route to Lima, it will be a big step in promoting personnel mobility, and we hope to attract more Chinese tourists to Peru," said Balarezo.
In the vast landscape of China Latin America cooperation, the importance of China Peru cooperation is becoming increasingly prominent. Balarezo said, "Other Latin American countries can listen and see what Peru and China are doing, engage in close dialogue between Peru and China, continuously deepen mutual trust, and achieve win-win cooperation. The development of Peru China relations fully demonstrates the obvious benefits of cooperation with China, and Latin American countries should become friends with China. For developing countries, including Latin American countries, deepening cooperation with China can improve people's lives."
People's Daily Overseas Edition
