In a visit to Panama, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told leaders in the country that China’s alleged influence over the Panama Canal is “unacceptable,” and demanded “immediate changes” from the South American country.
Rubio met with Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on February 2, marking his first meeting with a foreign leader since he became secretary of state. According to a release from U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Trump’s administration made a “preliminary determination” based on the meeting between Mulino and Rubio, that China’s “current position of influence and control” over the canal poses an immediate threat, and violates a treaty signed between the U.S. and Panama that ensures the neutrality of the crucial waterway. Bruce went on to warn that if conditions at the canal don’t change, the U.S. would “take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty.”
According to The New York Times, President Mulino’s account of the meeting was far more optimistic, stating that he did not interpret any threats from the U.S., and that “there is no question that the canal is operated by Panama and will continue to be so.” Mulino also announced that Panama would not be renewing its agreement with China’s Belt and Road initiative, which pours billions of dollars into overseas development projects in several countries. Panama was the first country to sign onto the initiative in 2017.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened to have the U.S. retake control of the Panama Canal, which Panama has operated independently since 1999. Trump has also claimed that China’s presence and influence in the region poses a national security risk, citing the two ports at either end of the waterway operated by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings.
