The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseeth, promised that the Trump administration “would recover” the Panama Canal of the “Influence of China” on Tuesday a visit to the key shipping lane.
“China did not build this channel. China does not operate this channel and China will not assemble this channel,” said Pentagon’s head in Comments from Panama, with the strategic river route as a backdrop.
“Together with Panama at the head, we will keep the safe channel and available for all nations.”
“Together, we will recover the channel of China’s influence,” Hegseeth added.
President Trump has tried to claim the Panama Canal, citing Conerns of National Security on Chinese property companies that are allowed to operate port facilities at the entrance and exit points of the river route, as well as in much of the infrastructure.
More than 40% of American container traffic, valued at approximately $ 270 billion, flows through the Panama Canal annually, according to Reuters.
“Actually or in perception, the communist Chinese have had designs about the greater control of this channel, we say:” Not under our surveillance, “Hegseeth told Panamanian security forces and US troops parked in the Central American country.” We cultivate our association even more. “
The Chinese embassy in Panama issued a burning statement in response to Hegseeth’s comments.
“Who represents the true threat to the channel? People will do their own judgment,” said the embassy in a statement.
The Chinese embassy also accused the United States of resorting to “blackmail” to advance their interests in the region and argued that the nations with which Panama does business is a “sovereign decision of Panama … and something that the United States has no right to interfere.”
“The United States has carried out a sensationalist campaign about the ‘Chinese theoretical threat’ in an attempt to sabotage Chinese-Panamanian cooperation, which is based on the geopolitical interests of the United States,” added the embassy. “China has never participated in the management and operation of the Panama Canal, nor has interfered in the affairs of the channel.”
The president of Panamano, José Raúl Mulino, issued a joint statement with Hegseeth after the insistence of the secretary of the Cabinet that the leaders “reaffirmed the historical security relationship between the Republic of Panama and the United States of America.”
“They agree that our two nations must be on the shoulder in their mutual commitment to address shared security challenges,” the joint declaration continued, recognizing the $ 230 million in security assistance that the United States has provided years; Panama’s departure from the Chinese belt and road initiative; And Panama’s efforts to represent illegal immigration when closing the border along Darien’s gap.
The statement also noted that Panama and the United States will work “in a mechanism to compensate for the payment of tolls and charges” for ships that use the channel and collaborate to “improve and strengthen Panama’s security capabilities, even through Jint military exercises.
With post cables.
