US Lawmaker Urges Peru to Reclaim Chancay Port from China
Maria Elvira Salazar, chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, has called on Peru’s upcoming government to reclaim control of the Chancay megaport from Chinese operator Cosco Shipping. During a congressional hearing, Salazar characterized the deepwater facility as a direct military threat to the Western Hemisphere, citing its potential for dual commercial and military use by Chinese naval forces, including submarines and aircraft carriers. She pledged Washington’s support in helping Peru wrest the port from Chinese hands following the next Peruvian elections in June. The hearing also featured testimony from Michael Kozak of the US State Department, who noted that Peruvian officials are alarmed by a recent Lima court ruling. This judicial decision barred the national transport regulator, Ositran, from overseeing the port, accepting Cosco’s argument that the privately funded terminal operates outside state concession contracts. The situation highlights escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and China over strategic infrastructure influence in Latin America, with US lawmakers framing the port's ownership as a critical national security issue requiring immediate diplomatic and political intervention.
Wire timeline
US Lawmaker Urges Peru to Reclaim Chancay Port from China
Maria Elvira Salazar, chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, has called on Peru’s upcoming government to reclaim control of the Chancay megaport from Chinese operator Cosco Shipping. During a congressional hearing, Salazar characterized the deepwater facility as a direct military threat to the Western Hemisphere, citing its potential for dual commercial and military use by Chinese naval forces, including submarines and aircraft carriers. She pledged Washington’s support in helping Peru wrest the port from Chinese hands following the next Peruvian elections in June. The hearing also featured testimony from Michael Kozak of the US State Department, who noted that Peruvian officials are alarmed by a recent Lima court ruling. This judicial decision barred the national transport regulator, Ositran, from overseeing the port, accepting Cosco’s argument that the privately funded terminal operates outside state concession contracts. The situation highlights escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and China over strategic infrastructure influence in Latin America, with US lawmakers framing the port's ownership as a critical national security issue requiring immediate diplomatic and political intervention.
News - South China Morning Post