Chancay Port to boost local economy, tourism: Peruvian official

China

Chancay Port to boost local economy, tourism: Peruvian official

2024-11-17 23:01 Last Updated At：11-18 15:17

China's investment in Peru's Chancay Megaport marks a new milestone in the growing China-Peru friendship and is expected to boost local tourism and economy, according to Peruvian Vice Minister of Tourism Madeleine Burns Vidaurrazaga.

Located 80 kilometers north of Lima, the Chancay Port will reduce sea freight time from Peru to Asia from 45 days to just 23. With shorter transit times and lower logistics costs, companies like Warmpaca will be able to deliver popular Peruvian products, such as its famous alpaca dolls, to Chinese customers much faster.

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Chancay Port to boost local economy, tourism: Peruvian official

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Chancay Port to boost local economy, tourism: Peruvian official

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) at a Chinese Park, the vice minister emphasized the significance of this new port, calling it an important tourist resource and a symbol of the enduring friendship between China and Peru.

"For us, it's very important. It's a new resource, tourist resource made from the Chinese community here in Peru and reminds us of how long the Chinese people are in Peru helping to develop our economy. Now we have a new, a big new Inca Trail, which is Chancay to Shanghai," said Vidaurrazaga.

Regarding the Chancay Port, the vice minister highlighted the environment-friendly initiatives surrounding the project, which aim to protect local wildlife populations.

"We are really surprised when visiting Chancay Port. Everything is technology in that port. But it is very important that they really care about environmental issues, inclusive issues. Even we are working together for a new tourism plan for Chancay Port, because a lot of people will visit Chancay. It's very near to Lima, but also they have a wonderful gastronomy and a special place like Caral that is more than 5,000 years before Christ. So it's very ancient. So it's the first city in the world created for commercial things, not for a war, not for protection, just for commercial market. So it is very important," said Vidaurrazaga.

Looking ahead, Vidaurrazaga believes the Chancay Port will foster the development of Peru, both in terms of investment and tourism.

"Chancay Port also will increase the movement between China and Peru. And now we are looking for more tourism. We notice the investment of China in Peru is growing. So even in the schools, the young people are interested to learn mandarin, because Peru has a very open economy too, we sign agreements with 122 countries, and we are open to the world economy. So this is a new way as the president of China said, this is a new global way to exchange our customs, our goods, to make friendship with all the countries," said Vidaurrazaga.

Japanese civil groups urge gov't to ban arms exports

Representatives of 12 Japanese civil groups held a rally in Tokyo on Thursday, urging the government to ban all arms exports.

The demonstrators gathered in front of the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters and the National Diet building, where they submitted a formal petition. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, agreed at a meeting on Monday to revise the implementation guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and lift restrictions that limit defense equipment transfers to five noncombat purposes. And they planned to submit the proposal to the cabinet in February next year.

The ruling coalition's plan to significantly relax restrictions on weapons exports has been met with strong opposition from domestic civil groups, as they warn that the move would put Japan on a dangerous path.

The demonstrators urged the government to strictly uphold Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution, which renounces the nation's right to engage in war or to resort to military force to resolve international conflicts.

"The Constitution clearly renounces war as a sovereign right and stipulates that Japan shall not possess land, sea, and air forces. However, despite the Constitution's existence as the cardinal law, they constantly adopt laws that hollow out and weaken the Constitution's spirit. And Japanese companies keep manufacturing and exporting weapons to make profits, which worries me tremendously. I keenly feel that Japan is already at a dangerous edge," said Yoko Sugiura, editor-in-chief of magazine Consumers Union of Japan.

"During the Diet debates, it was the Liberal Democratic Party that formulated the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, a system specifically embodying the ideals of Article 9 of the Constitution. The Japan Innovation Party's claim that Article 9 has nothing to do with arms exports ban and embargo is erroneous both factually and conceptually. And the issue is a very serious," said Koji Sugihara, a representative of the Network Against Japan Arms Trade, a local citizens' group.

"In the spirit of Article 9 of the Constitution, arms exports must be stopped, and the policy of prohibiting weapons must be restored. Given this clear shift to militarization, we fear that if it this goes on, there is no way to guarantee the safety of our lives. So we will continue to appeal to society to collectively ponder on how to stop this trend," said Misaki Nishimura, a representative of the Japan Peace Committee.