Never before, at least in the last century, has a leader of a major power addressed a letter to the people of Peru. Xi Jinping’s gesture is a positive step toward strengthening relations between the People’s Republic of China and Peru, especially now that significant infrastructure investments are beginning to flow into Peru as part of China’s strategy to expand its presence in South America.
From a realistic perspective, Xi Jinping’s gesture has significant value, but we must not forget that states don’t have friends, they have interests. As we stated earlier, Peru is, from a geopolitical perspective, a strategic country within China’s vision of global trade development.
While China has a clear strategy due to its position as a global power, Peru does not clearly demonstrate whether it has a strategy in its international relations, especially when dealing with powerful countries in situations of competition or conflict. What in other times was an advantageous opportunity is now viewed through the lens of ideological bias.
Peru’s geographical position is currently privileged: history is shifting from old Europe and Atlantic trade to the wealthy countries of the Asia-Pacific region. This is a given, not part of a regional positioning strategy. Finally, there are several questions we must ask ourselves to understand our role in the immediate future and avoid repeating past mistakes:
- What kind of relationship should we establish with China?¿Se encuentra nuestra cancillería preparada para lidiar con China sin generar tensión con los Estados Unidos? Detalle: el proyecto del Puerto de Corío fue ofrecido a los Estados Unidos como posible inversionista.
- Are Peruvian politicians prepared for the challenge of Peru’s integration into the international community?
- What response will we give to Chile regarding the decline in trade at its ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio?
- What will we do about the strained relations with Mexico since the fall of Pedro Castillo?
- How will we design our defense policies? Will we strengthen our military complex or seek refuge under the Chinese umbrella? A crucial detail: The Chinese Navy already surpasses the US Navy and is on its way to becoming a military superpower in the Pacific.
