By Eduardo Baptista, Marco Aquino, Lucinda Elliott 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,

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday inaugurated Latin America's first Beijing-funded port in Chancay, Peru -- a symbol of the Asian superpower's growing influence on the continent as it prepares to face off with a new Donald Trump administration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to utilize the Chancay port in Peru as the foundation for a new corridor linking China and Latin America. This development marks a significant step in Xi's Belt and Road Initiative,

President Xi Jinping on Thursday inaugurated Latin America's first Chinese-funded port in Chancay, Peru -- a symbol of Beijing's growing influence on

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