The study, titled Chinese-Financed Ports Overseas and Related Terminals Dataset, highlights Beijing's strategy to create a parallel logistics network. According to the authors, the main goal is not territorial control, but strategic security, allowing the Asian country to maintain the flow of its exports and the import of essential raw materials without external interference.

The Chinese presence spans the globe, from the recent infrastructure built in Chancay, Peru, to terminals in Mauritania or Namibia. In the case of Spain, the report highlights the CSP Iberian Valencia terminal, located in the port of Valencia, which received funding from official Chinese bodies worth 190 million dollars.

Researchers point out that in one-fifth of the projects, operational control is in Chinese hands. This strategy seeks to facilitate access to critical resources such as oil, natural gas, minerals, and soybeans, consolidating a position of strength in international maritime trade in the face of potential blockades or future conflicts.