Chancay Port in Peru constructed by China's COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd Photos on this page: IC

Peru's minister of economy and finance emphasized the importance of coordinating and planning a meeting between the governments of Brazil and Peru, along with the Chinese delegation to advance a cross-continental railroad connecting Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic coast, Peru's Ministry of Economy and Finance posted on social media platform X on Tuesday.

A Reuters report quoted Peru's economy ministry as saying in a statement on Monday that the country will seek a high-level meeting with China and Brazil to advance a planned bi-oceanic railway project.

As of press time, the Chinese Embassy in Peru has not responded to the Global Times' request for details about the meeting. 

The inauguration of Chancay Port in Peru has reignited Brazil and Peru's interest in enhancing connectivity with China, said Chinese expert, noting that Peru's latest move to seek communication with both China and Brazil in this regard will help advance of the cross-continental railroad project. 

In X post on Tuesday, Peru's Ministry of Economy and Finance wrote that Peru's minister of economy and finance Raúl Pérez Reyes met with Chinese representatives.

The ministry also stated that during the meeting, Reyes emphasized the importance of coordinating a trilateral meeting between the governments of Brazil and Peru, together with the Chinese delegation to advance the bi-oceanic interconnection project that envisages a railway link to Pucallpa.

The plan to establish a faster Pacific Ocean route for Brazil-China trade has been under consideration since 2014, which was originally intended to move via Chile. The development of the Chancay Port and other infrastructure in the past few years has paved the way for the new route via Peru, media reported. 

After the inauguration of Chancay Port in Peru, Brazil recognized significant opportunities to strengthen connectivity with China, thus the Brazilian government has recently expressed great interest in reviving the cross-continental railway project, 

Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Wang added that China's capability in infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, and experience in building railways are second to none worldwide, thus appears to be an ideal partner for both Brazil and Peru in this collaboration.  

During his state visit to China from May 10 to 14, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said "Our relationship with China is very strategic. We want to learn and to attract more investment to Brazil. We want more railways, more subways, more technology…"

There is a strong possibility that the cross-continental railroad will become a reality in the future, Jorge Viana, CEO of Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, who accompanied Lula during his visit, told the Global Times on May 12. Viana said the railroad has almost opened an alternative to Panama Canal, as the railway would enable Brazilian goods to be transported directly from Peru to Shanghai Port in China, without taking detours. 

Currently, shipments from southern Brazilian ports to the Pacific take nearly 20 additional days, Viana said. 

On April 16, Joao Villaverde, Brazil's secretary for institutional coordination at the Ministry of Planning posted on social media that a Chinese delegation included officials from China State Railway Group and China's Ministry of Transport, visited Brazil and discussed major infrastructure projects, including a railway project linking the South American country to a megaport in Chancay, Peru. 

According to Brazil's Executive Office of the Presidency, the delegation toured several projects across the country during a seven-day visit in April, expressing interest in investment opportunities related to the Bioceanic Corridor, a proposed transport route connecting Brazil to the Pacific Ocean, according to South China Morning Post.