China–Peru Relations

China–Peru relations ( zh, t=中秘关系, p=Zhōng mì guānxì; ) are foreign relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Peru. Peru is the first Latin American country which China established formal ties, which was done by the Qing dynasty in August 1875. Both nations are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the United Nations.

Relations between both nations went through three stages: Chinese coolieism as an institutionalization of human capital export to Latin America during the nineteenth century; the Maoist ideology transfer in the 1970s and 1980s; and, from the 1990s onwards, through international trade and cultural and Mandarin language centers—the Confucius Institute.

History

Relations were established more than 160 years ago, intertwined with local social imageries, power structures, and narratives. Peru established relations with the Qing dynasty with the signing of a treaty in Tianjin on June 26, 1874. Peru's first Resident Ambassador was named the next year, assuming his duties on May 20, 1878, while the Chinese ambassador would only reach Peru in 1883, after the War of the Pacific. Relations between both states started with the Coolie Trade and matured during the ‘Hundred Years weakness and poverty’ (Wang, 1993) from the 1840s to 1949 of the impoverished Qing China, followed by a republic divided by civil wars and invaded by Japan.

After the establishment of the Republic of China, Peru maintained its relations with the new Kuomintang government. In 1944, the diplomatic status of the two countries was raised to embassy level, and high-level officials of the two countries exchanged frequent visits in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result of the Chinese Civil War, Peru closed its embassy in Beijing in 1946.

Relations since 1971

After the establishment of Juan Velasco Alvarado's Revolutionary Government, Peru established relations with the People's Republic of China on November 2, 1971, with the Republic of China severing its relations and closing its embassy in Lima as a result, and the PRC opening its embassy the following year. As such, Peru became the third Latin American country to recognize the Beijing-based government. Since the establishment of relations between Peru and the PRC, the South American country has adhered to the One China policy.

In May 1978, the ROC established the "Far East Trade Center" in Lima to promote bilateral trade. On November 5, 1990, President Alberto Fujimori approved Supreme Executive Order No. RE014, agreeing to change the name of "Far East Trade Center" to " Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Peru". On March 3, 1994, Peru established a " Taipei Trade Office" in Taiwan.

Peru and the PRC signed a free trade agreement in April 2009. The agreement was officially ratified by both countries governments on December 6, 2009, and came into effect on March 1, 2010. As of 2025, Chinese investment in Peru is primarily in the resources sector and predominantly mining-related.

President of Peru Dina Boluarte pays a state visit to China to meet with Chinese President and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping from June 25, 2024, to June 29, 2024.

During a November 2024 visit by Xi Jinping to Peru, Boluarte and Xi celebrated the opening of the Port of Chancay, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi described the port as the beginning of a new maritime-land corridor between China and Latin America. The port was built by COSCO Shipping Ports.

Subnational relations

Peru is represented in the Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China at a local level by the Consulate-General of Peru in Hong Kong, which is also accredited to Macau. Macau is, nevertheless, also represented by an honorary consulate. Relations with the regions are carried out within the framework of relations with the People's Republic of China.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong–Peru relations are carried out under the larger context of relations with China and date back to the British era of the region.

Many Chinese Peruvians are descendants of coolies that came from East Asia, including then British Hong Kong. Recorded voyages of coolie ships to Peru include the ''Lady Montagne'' (February 17, 1850; left with 450 coolies on board), the ''Albert'' (September 7, 1850; 156 coolies), the ''Victory'' (December 6, 1851; 335 coolies) the ''Beatrice'' (January 20, 1852; 300 coolies), the ''Frederich'' (January 19, 1869; 379 coolies), etc. In 1870, the Governor of Hong Kong, Richard Graves MacDonnell, accused the Peruvian consul in China, César A. del Río, of being involved in this trade after it was outlawed.

In the 1960s, Peru established honorary consulates in British Hong Kong. A Peruvian delegation of the Public Fishmeal and Fish Oil Marketing Company () visited Hong Kong in 1970 to study the mainland Chinese market up close. This resulted in the opening of a Commercial Office in Beijing in September of the following year as a prelude of the formalisation of relations in November.

In 1991, Hong Kong was visited by Minister of Economy and Finance Carlos Boloña and President Alberto Fujimori. In 1997, Prime Minister Alberto Pandolfi represented Peru at the Hong Kong handover ceremony.

In 2008, an agreement was signed aiming at the negotiation of a free trade agreement between both regions. Said negotiations started in 2023. In 2022, Peruvian exports were valued at US$ 262 million, while Hong Kong's exports were valued at US$25 million.

Macau

Macau–Peru relations ( zh, t=澳门与秘鲁关系, p=Àomén yǔ bìlǔ guānxì; ; ) are also carried out under the larger context of relations with China and date back to the Portuguese era of the region.

Similar to neighbouring Hong Kong, the early history of relations took place in the context of the coolie trade and within Peru's relations with Portugal. From 1849 to 1857, a large number of ships left for Callao, until the trade was suspended by the British and Chinese authorities. This meant that from 1860 onwards, a second wave of Chinese immigration to Peru took place with Macau serving as its exclusive starting point. The last ship to leave to Peru was the Peruvian ''Lola'', who left in July 1874 and reached Peru with 6 coolies dying in the journey. A year before, the Overseas Ministry had prohibited the trade of coolies to Peru and Cuba due to the conditions they were subject to upon arrival.

Peru is a recurring participant in the annual ''Macao International Trade and Investment Fair'', where trade between both regions is promoted.

Taiwan

Due to its official relations with mainland China, Peru ''de jure'' recognises Taiwan as part of China. However, since 1978, relations between Peru and the ROC are unofficially maintained through representative offices in Taipei and Lima.

High-level visits

High-level visits from China to Peru
*CCP General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (2014)
*Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying (2014)
*CCP General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (2024)

High-level visits from Peru to China
*President of Congress Víctor Joy Way (1997)
*Prime Minister Alberto Pandolfi (1997)
*Minister Carlos Boloña (1991)
*President Alberto Fujimori (1991 & 1999)
*President Alejandro Toledo (2005)
*President Ollanta Humala (2013)
*President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016)

Resident diplomatic missions

* China has an embassy in Lima.
* Peru has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.Embassy of Peru in Beijing
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See also

*List of ambassadors of China to Peru
* List of ambassadors of Peru to China
* China–Peru Free Trade Agreement

References

Bibliography

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