China Signs Contract with Huawei to Provide AI Education to Peruvian Citizens

China's largest telecommunications equipment company, Huawei, will provide artificial intelligence (AI) training to Peruvian entrepreneurs and others. Recently, Peru, which has effectively granted the exclusive operating rights of the Chancay Port to a Chinese state-owned enterprise, is rapidly expanding its cooperation with China.

According to the Peruvian presidential office on the 26th (local time), Peru plans to conduct training for 20,000 people, including small and medium-sized enterprise experts, women, and entrepreneurs in new technologies, especially in the AI field, and disclosed details of cooperation with China's Huawei. China Daily, a Chinese state-run English newspaper, also reported on the 23rd that Dina Boluarte, the President of Peru, who began her visit to China, visited Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen on the 26th.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

President Boluarte stated that this visit aims to promote greater investment and cooperation with China in key areas such as infrastructure development, digital transformation, AI, and clean energy. On China Daily's official WeChat account, images were released showing President Boluarte meeting with Huawei Chairman Liang Hua and testing smart cars.

She also visited the headquarters of BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer located in Shenzhen, to discuss the construction of a factory in Peru. Afterwards, she plans to visit Beijing following Shanghai and hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 28th.

Peru is considered a major investment destination under China's Belt and Road Initiative (the overland and maritime Silk Road connecting Asia and Europe). According to the Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan University, Peru received $2.9 billion (approximately 4.03 trillion KRW) in investments last year, ranking third highest worldwide.

Recently, Peru has also been embroiled in controversy regarding the exclusive operating rights of the Chancay Port on the Pacific coast, which is close to the United States. Eight years ago, the Peruvian National Port Authority received $3.6 billion in Chinese funding to build Chancay Port on the condition of granting exclusive operating rights to COSCO, China's largest shipping company. However, the Port Authority filed a lawsuit arguing that holding operating rights due to funding was unfair. Nevertheless, the lawsuit was recently dismissed, effectively transferring the operating rights to COSCO.