US-China Tensions Rise Over Peruvian Port
Is Chancay Port legitimate Chinese cooperation respecting Peruvian sovereignty or is China weaponizing infrastructure to threaten U.S. interests?
Above: The Port of Chancay north of Lima, Peru, on Sept. 30, 2025. Image credit: Connie France/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The Chancay Port is a legitimate commercial cooperation between China and Peru, fully respecting Peruvian sovereignty and legal processes. Washington's real concern isn't sovereignty risks but losing its traditional exclusive control over Latin America, as the region rightfully exercises its independence to choose beneficial partnerships outside U.S. dominance.
Anti-China narrative
China's state-owned Cosco firm is weaponizing commercial maritime infrastructure to reshape global power, with Chancay marking a dangerous expansion that threatens the West and its allies, including Peru. Commercial sea power forms the foundation of global supremacy, and Beijing's systematic control over worldwide container logistics networks directly undermines regional stability.