LIMA (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a week-long diplomatic blitz of South America on Thursday by inaugurating a massive deep-water port in Peru, a $1.3 billion investment by Beijing as it seeks to expand trade and influence on the continent.

The port opening in Chancay underscores China’s growing clout in a region that once looked primarily to the United States for economic opportunity.

Residents relax and enjoy the beach under the sun, as cranes build Chancay Port in the background in Lima, Peru, on October 29, 2024. Photo: VCG Giant containers pile up at the newly developed Chancay Port, Chancay, Peru, on October 24, 2024. Photo: IC