Peru’s Foreign Relations Minister Rafael Roncagliolo was in Beijing on Monday, where he meet with Chinese officials to discuss strengthening ties between the two nations, Peruvian state news agency Andina reported.
Peru and China already have strong commercial ties. As one of the world’s biggest producers of copper, lead, zinc and other minerals, Peru is an important supplier of commodities to resource-hungry China.
As a result, China is Peru’s biggest export market, recently overtaking the United States.
Several large-scale Chinese mining companies are also in Peru. Shougang Hierro Peru operates the country’s only iron ore mine, located in Ica region, while the firm Chinalco is also developing the $2.2 billion Toromocho copper mine in central Peru’s Andean region.
The two countries signed a free trade agreement in 2009.
During his trip to China this week, Roncagliolo said the countries could also be increasing ties in education, agriculture and cultural areas.
