Peru Makes Deals With China President Xi Jinping to Build Cross-Continental Railroad to Brazil
Peru's long infrastructure-building journey has just commenced as the South American nation pens various projects to build railroads across the country and continent.
The administration of Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has taken advantage of Peru's continuing economic rise and is rolling out two large railroad projects. During his visit to Beijing for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President Humala took the opportunity to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and signed a series of agreements, according to Andean Air Mail and Peruvian Times.
Among those agreements signed was a memorandum of understanding between Peru, China and Brazil to build a cross-continental railroad linking Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic coast. The project is called the Twin Ocean Railroad Connection. Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communication, Brazil's Ministry of Transport and China's National Commission of Development and Reform signed the agreement at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
According to EFE, Peru signed various other economic agreements concerning mining and hydrocarbons. In exchange, China gave $11.5 million and pledged to play a useful role in December's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is to be held in the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Peru, in turn, pledged to help China in its preparation for the upcoming first meeting with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States next year.
Peru's infrastructure projects do not end there.
Earlier this week, Peru's minister of transport and communication, Jose Gallardo, announced Peru would begin work on a coastal railroad linking various cities along the country's Pacific coast, according to the Andina news agency. It will cost around $9.5 billion.
"The Coastal Train Project is a modern infrastructure project that we are going to work on until it is a reality because demand for transportation for the people and freight on the coast obliges us to take this step," he said.
The 832-mile long railroad would connect the departments of Ica, Lima, Ancash, La Libertad, Lambayeque and Piura.
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