SAO PAULO -- China has deepened economic ties with South American countries in fields from logistics to satellite communications, increasing trade with the continent 40 times in two decades as the U.S. reduces involvement in what it has traditionally considered its backyard.
The first cargo vessel to depart Peru's Port of Chancay docked in Shanghai after a 23-day journey across the Pacific Ocean last month. The new deep-water port, located near the Peruvian capital of Lima, cuts shipping times by over 10 days.
