PERU: Peru To Expand Trade,Tourism, Investment With China

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's recent visit to China helped lay the groundwork for expanding ties in trade, tourism and investment, a senior official has said.

His trip boosts trust between the two countries, and promotes Peru among China's business community, Peru's Minister of Foreign Commerce and Tourism Eduardo Ferreyros, who accompanied the president to Beijing, said.

"The message we gave China and Chinese business leaders is that they come to Peru, which is an attractive country for investment," Ferreyros said.

Peru has a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, providing it with a privileged platform for deepening ties, the minister said.

Kuczynski paid his first foreign visit to China from Sept. 12 to Sept. 16. The visit shows the Peruvian people's admiration toward China for its achievements in independent development, Kuczynski said during the visit.

Kuczynski's first trip abroad since taking office also served to acknowledge China's importance as Peru's leading trade partner, and one of its biggest investors, especially in mining and energy.

In Beijing, Peru's trade chief met with his Chinese counterpart to discuss expanding a Customs Cooperation Agreement designed to prevent smuggling, and proposed holding a meeting in December on a free trade agreement.

The two also discussed Chinese investment in agriculture, agroindustry and tourism in Peru, and the possibility of expanding air links between the two countries to boost tourism.

"We are encouraging Chinese hotel chains to establish themselves in Peru, to invest in hotels that have the particular features to attend to their citizens," said Ferreyros.

"We are also going to focus and redirect certain events promoting Peru as a destination in Chinese cities, above all in Beijing, Shanghai and in Guangdong province, in order to promote flights from China to Peru," he added.

To attract more Chinese tourism, Peru has changed its visa restrictions to allow Chinese leisure and business travelers to stay in the country for up to 150 days, he said.

In trade, China Eastern Airlines will likely be the carrier in charge of transporting Peru's first shipment of cranberries and prawns destined for the Chinese market, as well as other non-traditional exports, said the minister.

In October, officials from both countries expect to conclude a phytosanitary agreement to be signed in November at an upcoming summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

In a bid to boost Peru's exports, Ferreyros said he is meeting in Lima with the heads of the 31 Export Trade Offices the country maintains around the world to put together an aggressive trade strategy in conjunction with the private sector.