Peru's Chancay Port witness to new Asia-Latin America land-sea passage: Chinese spokesman

The China-backed Chancay Port in Peru is a witness to the construction of a new land-sea corridor linking Asia and Latin America in the new era, which will promote the common development of the economies along the Pacific coast, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte on Thursday declared the opening of Chancay Port via video link during the inauguration ceremony.

The mega port, located in the Chancay Bay is about 80 kilometers north of Peruvian capital Lima and connects the city with China's economic hub of Shanghai.

"As President Xi Jinping noted, the Chancay Port is a major project of China-Peru cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the first smart and green port in South America. The first phase of the port project will shorten the shipping time from Peru to China to 23 days, reducing logistics costs by more than 20 percent. It is expected to generate 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue for Peru and directly create over 8,000 jobs. Once completed, it will strongly consolidate Peru's position as a gateway connecting land and sea and linking Asia and Latin America, driving the overall development and integration of Latin America and the Caribbean. The port also has an animal rescue station to improve the environmental conditions of wetlands, beaches and biological habitats, contributing to the sustainable development of the local economy and society," said Lin.

"Today's Chancay Port is becoming a new starting point of the 'Inca Trail of the New Era'. From Chancay to Shanghai, what people are witnessing is the birth of a new land-sea corridor linking Asia and Latin America in the new era. China will follow the consensus reached by the two heads of state, adhere to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and work with the Peruvian side to build, manage and operate the Chancay Port well, enabling the economies along the Pacific coast including China and Peru to develop together, so that it can truly become a path to prosperity and happiness for Peru and other Latin American and Caribbean countries," said the spokesman.

Xi arrived in the Peruvian capital earlier in the day to attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and pay a state visit to the Latin American country at the invitation of Boluarte.

Peru's Chancay Port witness to new Asia-Latin America land-sea passage: Chinese spokesman

At precisely 07:15 each morning, veteran meteorologist Tsering Dekyi launches a weather balloon from Lhasa Meteorological Station, continuing a ritual that has documented the remarkable transformation of the capital city of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region over half a century.

For 26 years, Dekyi has maintained this precision-critical routine where even a one-second delay constitutes a professional failure.

"Attention to details is vital. The tiniest error can cause disaster. A mistake of just 0.1 in the data input can have a major impact," she said.

As the balloon rises into sky, it captures atmospheric readings while revealing panoramic views of Lhasa's evolving skyline, where ancient temples now neighbor modern infrastructure.

The daily launches, conducted at optimal atmospheric conditions, showcase how this ancient city harmonizes heritage with development. Through the lens of balloon-mounted cameras, prayer-flag adorned rooftops give way to sprawling new residential districts and the gleaming Lhasa-Nyingchi railway terminus.

Meteorological balloons have risen from this station since the 1970s, their flight paths unintentionally chronicling urban expansion. Where observers once saw mostly farmland, they now document a regional hub with highways radiating across the plateau and solar farms powering growth.

As Dekyi watches another balloon shrink to a dot, its sensors will transmit real-time updates about the rarefied air above one of Asia's fastest-transforming cities, where tradition and progress share the same horizon.

Weather balloons witness Lhasa's remarkable transformation