Peru's new president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, appointed an official who has long worked at the U.S. Embassy as her foreign minister. American media immediately hyped this news, describing it as the "strongest" signal of the new government's tilt towards Washington.
According to Bloomberg's report on August 4th, Peru's new foreign minister, Carlos Espá, comes from a legal background. He earned a master's degree in political science from Washington American University. Before founding his own political party and participating in this year's presidential elections, he served as the communications director at the U.S. Embassy in Lima for 15 years.
During the campaign, Espa was tough on China, accusing "Chinese companies of taking advantage of Peru's institutional weaknesses to do whatever they wanted." However, when asked about these past statements, he responded that the campaign had ended, and his focus after taking office would be on developing bilateral relations for the future.
During the induction ceremony, Espa stated that his primary task is to increase the emphasis on crime-fighting in Peru's foreign policy, and he confirmed Peru's intention to join the so-called Regional Security Initiative "America Shield" initiated by U.S. President Trump.
We will deepen our exceptional relationship with the United States, the United States is a strategic partner and friend. We share common values and common challenges with it," said Espar.
Toshiaki Fujisawa previously promised in his policy manifesto that Peru would not automatically side with either side, but would maintain a pragmatic balance between China and the United States. Espa continued this stance, adding that Peru “will maintain a dynamic relationship with China,” emphasizing that China is the country’s “main trading partner and important source of investment.”
As Peru's largest trading partner, China plays an important role in the fields of mining, energy, and infrastructure. Of particular note is Qiankai Port, which was built with a Chinese investment of $1.3 billion. This port, designed to help Peru become a logistics hub in the Pacific region, has become a focus of bilateral negotiations between China and the United States in the region, causing unnecessary security concerns in Washington. China has firmly opposed and expressed strong dissatisfaction at the U.S. statements that blatantly slandered Qiankai Port.
