08:54 | Beijing (China), Sep. 13.
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Tuesday said his presence in Beijing, as part of his first State visit, shows his country's respect and admiration for China, and seeks cooperation and investment from this Asian nation.
During his speech at the China-Peru Financial Cooperation and Industrial Capacity forum, held by the Bank of China, he noted the presence of the Peruvian delegation comprising State ministers and businessmen.
“I chose China for my first presidential trip, not Europe or any other destination; that is why we are here, as a sign of respect and admiration and seeking cooperation to solve problems in my country,” he said.
He explained China is Peru’s largest trading partner, and his visit to Beijing aims to “show we are interested in cooperating with the biggest nation in the world, home to 1.4 billion people.”
“The most important thing is that we live in a changing world, so we must be prepared for change. We are going to work together from here to Lima. I believe change is in our hands,” he stated.
According to the Peruvian leader, his state visit seeks infrastructure, not only the basic one, but the one that provides drinking water, sanitation, and even health.
Likewise, he said the South American nation needs physical infrastructure such as ports and railroads, which is why he noted the (Lima-Ica) Commuter Train project, aimed at integrating transport services in the Peruvian capital [Lima] from north to south.
“We are going after industrial investment; we are not pursuing loans nor help, but evaluating what China can do in our country. We seek industry, Peru exports minerals, [in fact] it is the largest exporter of zinc and silver; therefore, we can start industrializing them, as we have gas and minerals,” he explained.
(END) JCC/ASH/RMB/MVB
Published: 9/13/2016