Abstract
We examine how Peruvians perceive the Chinese‑developed Chancay Port amid growing geopolitical tensions between China and the United States. While the port is promoted as a South–South Partnership that expands trade opportunities, it has also generated concerns about dependency, environmental impacts, and limited community participation. Using trade data analysis and a Discourse Network Analysis of Peruvian news media, we map the dominant themes, actors, and coalitions shaping public debate. Our findings show that discourse on the port is driven more by civil society, media, and sectoral agencies than by changes in national political leadership. The study contributes to understanding how South–South partnerships are framed in local contexts and how narratives around China’s presence in Latin America are constructed and contested.