Lima, November 14 (Xinhua) — Special Report | Playing a New Chapter of Mutual Benefit and Win win – Observation of the First Anniversary of Qian Kai Port’s Opening
On November 12th, at the Qiankai Port located 80 kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru, the “Liaohekou” roll on/roll off ship successfully docked and transferred about 2550 Chinese made cars it was carrying. 10 days ago, a Liberian container ship loaded with Peruvian fruits, fish meal and other goods departed from Qiankai Port to Shanghai, China.
Qiankaigang is an important project of the “the Belt and Road” jointly built by China and Peru. Since its opening on November 14, 2024, this South American first smart port has seen a simultaneous increase in throughput and export capacity, rapidly becoming Peru’s third largest port in just one year, driving the flourishing of new business models in the country and accelerating the upgrading of the regional industrial chain. From Qian Kai to Shanghai “has become a new era of Yala land sea new channel.
This is a container displayed at the Qiankai Port in Peru, captured on October 7, 2025. Qiankai Port, 80 kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru, was officially opened in November 2024, marking the new and important achievements of the joint construction of the the Belt and Road between China and Peru. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Marianne Baso)
Open up a new land sea channel
After the “Liaohekou” ship docked, during the transit operation, the port synchronously refueled it. This is the first time that Qiankai Port has provided refueling support for roll on/roll off ships, demonstrating the port’s improvement in comprehensive service capabilities, collaborative organization, and operational support.
Nowadays, the Qiankai Port container shipping route has achieved regular weekly operations. The shipping time between China and Peru has been shortened from 33 to 45 days to 25 days for eastbound and 23 days for westbound, resulting in a 30% reduction in logistics costs. With the help of Qiankai Port, Latin American exporters can save time, enhance competitiveness, and open up markets.
In March of this year, we transported goods through Qiankai Port, and the results exceeded expectations. The voyage was shorter and the frequency was more stable, allowing local fruits to reach the Asian market in a fresher state, “said Gloria Figueroa, Deputy General Manager of the Peru branch of a multinational corporation in South Africa.” The market that was previously limited by transportation cycles can now be repositioned. The company plans to further explore the Asian market based on Qian Kaigang.
This is a container displayed at the Qiankai Port in Peru, captured on May 16th. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Muzi
In August of this year, a batch of Chinese e-commerce goods transferred from Qiankai Port to Lima Airport successfully arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, marking the successful delivery of the first batch of “sea air intermodal” goods. Fang Ke, general manager of Anjun Logistics, said that this model has improved the response time of e-commerce platform by 80% and reduced the comprehensive cost by 50%.
The Peruvian Foreign Trade Association pointed out that since its full commercial operation in June, the Qiankai Port has continued to rise in the connectivity ranking of Latin American ports, jumping at a record speed to become the third largest port in Peru and accelerating its integration into the international port system.
The Qiankai Port has not only changed the layout of ports in Peru, but also reshaped the trade structure between Latin America and Asia, “said Gonzalo Rios, Deputy General Manager of Peru Qiankai Company of COSCO Shipping Port.” The flow of goods between Latin America and Asia is smoother, the supply chain is more efficient, and the road to cooperation is broader
Activate the new collaboration engine
According to data from Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Peru’s total exports increased by 17.3% year-on-year in the first nine months of this year, with China continuing to remain its largest export destination. The import and export trade of Qiankai Port has injected strong momentum into the economic and trade cooperation between China and Peru, as well as between China and Latin America.
Qian Kai Port is a key factor that has prompted Peruvian companies to pay more attention to the Chinese market and view opportunities in Asia, “said Claudia Solano, head of agricultural export management at the Peruvian Exporters Association. Qian Kai Port has significantly brought Peru closer to Asia.
The driving effect of Qiankai Port is extending to the surrounding areas, empowering the common development of Pacific coastal economies. The new shipping route connecting Guayaquil Port in Ecuador and Shanghai, China through the port has shortened the shipping time to 27 days, opening up a new channel for Pacific coastal countries to reach Asia.
On May 16th, at the Qiankai Port in Peru, an intelligent driving container truck prepared to load containers. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Muzi
John Valdiglesias, a researcher at the Asian Studies Center of the National University of San Marcos in Peru, believes that China’s continued efforts to promote high-level opening-up and high-quality joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” are driving Latin American countries into a new stage of mutually beneficial cooperation.
In February of this year, Qian Kai Port imported cars in container form for the first time, with efficient loading and unloading and safe and undamaged operation. With the synchronous promotion of whole vehicle chain services and roll on/roll off business, Chinese brand cars have entered thousands of households in Latin America through this portal.
Qian Kai Port has given us great confidence. Figueroa has personally felt the changes brought by Qian Kai Port. “We can arrange a more stable long-term export plan, which will not only benefit Peru, but also benefit the entire South American region
Joining hands to cultivate and develop new driving forces
Qiankai Port facilitates economic and trade exchanges between Asia Pacific and Latin America, and also promotes the upgrading of export industries towards “intelligence, traceability, and high added value”.
When I visited ports in China at the end of 2023, I deeply felt the tremendous changes brought about by technological innovation, “Rios recalled.” At that time, I firmly believed in bringing technology back to Peru, driving port management with innovation, and creating greater value
Thanks to the integration of economy, trade, and digitalization, Peruvian fruits shipped from Qiankai Port to Shanghai can now be traced using a digital pre inspection and traceability system. The entire process of fruit picking, packaging, transportation, and sales can be traced, and the system monitors temperature and humidity in real time to ensure the best quality during transoceanic navigation.
On November 14, 2024, intelligent equipment was used to lift containers at the Qiankai Port north of Lima, the capital of Peru. On the same day, Qiankai Port, a key project of the “the Belt and Road” jointly built by China and Peru, opened. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Mengxin
The deep integration of trade and the digital economy can help enhance supply chain stability and regional economic vitality, “said Maria Ostro, a researcher at the National University of San Marcos in Peru. Qiankai Port is driving industrial upgrading with smooth economic and trade relations, helping Latin American agriculture, cold chain logistics, and digital technology to deeply integrate into the global supply chain.
The growth of port business has driven the prosperity of community service industry, with new restaurants and shops constantly emerging, attracting tourists and investors. The port also promotes the transformation of local traditional crafts into tourism products, broadens channels for increasing income, enhances community economic resilience, and forms a regional development pattern of joint construction and sharing.
Miguel Cordano, President of the Peruvian Appraisers Association, believes that with China’s participation and promotion, Qiankai Port is moving towards a better future: not only transporting goods, but also driving the connection of the industrial chain and promoting knowledge accumulation. He expects the port to move from “material infrastructure” to “social and technological infrastructure”, so that the development achievements can widely benefit people’s livelihoods.
The new era of the Yala Land Sea Corridor has made the economies on both sides of the Pacific a harmonious melody in a symphony, operating independently and coordinating with each other, “said Peruvian economist Luis Vazquez.” This corridor carries the hope of openness, cooperation, and win-win, and is playing a beautiful symphony towards the future together