China has made a $1.3 billion bet that a new port in Peru will boost access to South America’s agricultural bounty. Cashing in on the investment may be harder than expected.

Amid the state visit of the Chinese leader and the APEC leaders’ meeting in Lima, Peru, China-Peru ties are in the spotlight. How to grasp the deep ties between China and Peru and China’s relations with Latin America?

Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a week-long diplomatic blitz of South America on Thursday by inaugurating a massive deep-water port in Peru, a $1.3 billion investment by Beijing as it seeks to expand trade and influence on the continent.