Peru's newly-opened Chancay Port is expected to play a vital role in promoting trade between South America and Asia, according to Peruvian and Chinese experts.
An opening ceremony was held for the port on Thursday, after which the transportation time of goods exported from South America to the Asian market will be shortened to between 25 and 35 days, reducing logistics costs by more than 20 percent.
China's financial hub Shanghai is expected to welcome more goods from South America. And from Shanghai, these products will be shipped throughout Asia, including Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Peruvian and Chinese guests shared their expectations on the port.
"Now with the new port of Chancay, many opportunities are going to come. It's going to be easier for us to bring our products here to Chancay and then to Shanghai," said Ysabel Zea, a co-founder of Peruvian brand Warmpaca.
"Chinese electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products are the 'three emerging products'. Take Chinese new energy vehicles (NEVs) as an example. One of the four berths is designated for automobiles. So the port will greatly facilitate the export of China's 'three emerging products'," said Wu Meng, head of the Department of International Cooperation of the China Council for The Promotion of International Trade.
Newly-opened Chancay Port to bring more opportunities for Peru, China
Uganda on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following an outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease that has killed dozens of people.
Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Kampala that the National Task Force (NTF), chaired by Uganda's Vice President Jessica Alupo, had resolved to suspend all flights between Uganda and the DRC, with the measure taking effect within 48 hours.
The move follows the detection last week of two imported Ebola cases in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.
A 59-year-old Congolese man died from the virus at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, while the other patient remains in isolation at Mulago National Referral Hospital. A total of 127 contacts have been identified and are in institutional quarantine.
According to Atwine, the government has also temporarily suspended public passenger ferry services on the Semuliki River, cross-border bus operations and all public passenger transport between Uganda and the DRC for the next four weeks, while allowing the continued movement of goods and food supplies.
According to the ministry, weekly markets in border sub-counties across high-risk districts have also been suspended for four weeks.
The NTF has activated a series of preparedness and response measures, including the suspension of cultural celebrations and commemorative events that draw large crowds along the Uganda-DRC border.
Over the past 24 hours, health authorities in the DRC and the World Health Organization have reported a worsening outbreak across the central African nation, with around 600 suspected cases and 139 probable deaths recorded since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
Uganda suspends DRC flights amid efforts to prevent Ebola outbreak spillover
