Peru’s president refuses to step down as secret China meetings fuel ‘Chifagate’ scandal

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Igor PatrickJanuary 22, 2026 at 08:51 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Peruvian President Jose Jeri is facing a growing scandal, dubbed "Chifagate," over undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen in Lima. The late-night encounters, which took place at a Chinese restaurant and wholesale shop in December, were not recorded on the official presidential agenda, raising concerns about transparency. The meetings involved Zhihua Yang, a Chinese businessman with interests in various Peruvian sectors. Despite mounting pressure and calls for his resignation from opposition lawmakers, President Jeri has vowed to remain in office. The scandal unfolds amidst ongoing political instability in Peru, with Jeri assuming the presidency in October following the removal of his predecessor.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

San Borja 30% Chancay ×240% Congress 40% Dina Boluarte 50% Lima 60% Vicente Tiburcio 60% Zhihua Yang (Johnny) 70% China ×370% Chifagate 80% Jose Jeri ×390% Peru ×5100%

Keywords

peru 100% jose jeri 90% political scandal 90% china meetings 80% chifagate 70% transparency 60% presidential conduct 60% chinese businessman 50% political instability 50% resignation 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Peru

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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peru jose jeri political scandal china meetings chifagate transparency presidential conduct chinese businessman political instability resignation

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