Scandal Tests Peru’s China Ties as U.S. Scrutiny Intensifies

Peruvian President Jose Jeri gestures as he testifies before a congressional committee to address undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessman, Zhihua Yang, a case that has intensified scrutiny over his government's transparency and accountability, in Lima, Peru, January 21, 2026. Photo / REUTERS/Gerardo Marin
Peruvian President Jose Jeri gestures as he testifies before a congressional committee to address undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessman, Zhihua Yang, a case that has intensified scrutiny over his government's transparency and accountability, in Lima, Peru, January 21, 2026. Photo / REUTERS/Gerardo Marin

By Marco Aquino

A scandal surrounding undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman by Peru’s acting president has shone an unflattering spotlight on the key copper exporter’s ties to China at a moment of heightened U.S. scrutiny of Beijing’s footprint in the region.

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