Peru and US Close to Signing Deal to Counter Chinese Influence in Region: Diplomat

(L-R) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Peru's President Martin Vizcarra and Peruvian Foreign Minister Nestor Popolisio pose for pictures at the Governement Palace in Lima, Peru on April 13, 2019. - Pompeo landed in Peru on Saturday on the third-leg of a four-nation tour of Latin American allies focusing heavily on Venezuela and countering China's economic reach. Ernesto Benavides/AFP via Getty Images

LIMA—Peru and the United States are in the final stages of talks on a deal to promote American investments in the South American country as part of a U.S. initiative to counter Chinese influence in the region, a Peruvian diplomat told Reuters.

The United States launched its “Growth in the Americas” initiative in 2018 to bolster private-sector investments in energy and infrastructure in Latin America after China invited countries in the region to join its “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) initiative.