Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today will start his two-day official visit to Peru, during which bilateral strategic partnership will be enhanced while meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Tasso.
The welcome ceremony will take place at the air base in Callao, near Jorge Chavez international airport. Li will be received by Peru’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ana Maria Sanchez and government official of both countries, among them, Chinese Ambassador to Lima, Huang Minhui.
Minister Sanchez and the head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Xu Shaoshi, will chair the session of Bilateral Mechanism of Strategic Dialogue on Economic Cooperation, with assistance from other ministers of the two nations.
Huang commented on the Premier’s visit, and said it is of particular significance for bilateral relations, which have been lifted to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
“Our Prime Minister will meet with President Humala, with whom he will exchange ideas and criteria about our broad bilateral agenda and subjects of mutual interest regarding regional and international issues,” she noted.
He will meet with President Humala in private at the government palace. After that, they will lead a meeting with ministers of both countries intended to address guidelines on a further bilateral cooperation.
The meeting will also discuss the Free Trade Agreement impact on the trade exchange between Peru and China, and a series of cooperation deals will be signed.
Bilateral relations are quite wide and at many levels, particularly the economic and commercial ones, which extended after the signing and entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2009.
Li and his wife, Cheng Hong, are scheduled to attend a banquet held by the Peruvian leader in their honor. Its will take place at the Main Dining Room of the Government Palace, where Humala and Li will make a toast as well.
Li’s agenda for Saturday, May 23, starts at 10:00 a.m. (1500 GMT). He will meet with Chinese businessmen in Peru at a hotel in the capital city.
China is one of the most important investors in Peru, with more than 100 companies operating here, not only in traditional sectors such as mining and fishing, but also in other areas such as energy, infrastructure, construction and banking service.
The high-ranking official will visit the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History, in Pueblo Libre district, where he will be informed about the origin of the Chinese civilization. His Peruvian counterpart, Pedro Cateriano, is expected to attend too.
While in the museum, Li will also take part in the so called “Encounter between Chinese and Latin American civilizations.”
Later, at 4:00 p.m. (2100 GMT), he is due to visit the archaeological complex of Pachacamac in Lurin district.
Afterwards, the Chinese will return to his hotel to meet with Chinese embassy diplomats, businessmen, students and people of his country.
Brazil was the first stop of Li's four-nation Latin America tour, his first to the region since he assumed premiership in 2013.
Colombia was the second leg of the tour, which will also take him to Chile on Sunday, May 24, once his stay in Peru is over.
(END) AND/ASH/RMB
Published: 5/22/2015