Washington makes nails with heads and demands an immediate reduction in Chinese influence on the functioning of the Panama Canal person can be bad consequences.
During his first trip abroad in Panama president José Raúl Mulino, the American State Secretary Marco Rubio explained that, according to state director Donald Trump China, threatens the Panama Canal. This will be announced on Sunday by a spokesperson for the US Department of Foreign Affairs. Trump calls for an immediate change in the status quo. Otherwise the United States would act.
The Panamaic government denies the representations that he has given up the operation of the channel to China. It urges the management of the internationally important Waterweg.
Control of the gates in the focus
The conversations mainly dealt with the control of the ports on both sides of the important Waterweg – and not about sovereignty about the canal, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino explained after the meeting. The situation of the ports is checked, Mulino said. He does not exclude the future participation of American companies there.
Mulino described the meeting as positive. There is no doubt that Panama’s Waterweg will work and it will stay that way, says Mulino. “I don’t think there were discrepancies in this respect”. A bilateral technical specialist group is used to more accurately analyze the concerns of the United States, especially with regard to the “Chinese ports”. Rubio should later visit one of the ditches of the canal.
Hong Kong companies operate container terminals
The Hutchison Ports PPC from Hong Kong has performed large container terminals on both sides of the canal since 1997. The company is not one of the Chinese state, but a rich Hong Kong family. However, there is fear that the government in Beijing could also expand its influence on ports and shipping routes through private Chinese companies.
Protests in Panama against us claims on channel
During the conversations in the government’s seat, dozens of protesters protested in the streets of Panama City with Panamic flags against the claims of the US government to the Panama Canal. “This house is not for sale,” said it on banners, as was seen on television.
US President Donald Trump had recently placed claims on the Panamakanaal and said about several times that control over the important waterway in the US should be. He does not exclude military dedication. “I don’t have the impression that there is currently a real threat,” said Mulino after the conversations with Rubio.
The 82 -kilometer channel connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean in Central America. About three percent of maritime world trade is handled by him. The Waterweg was built by the United States in the early 20th century. On December 31, 1999, the United States transferred the Channel Administration to Panama. The recently deceased Democratic US President Jimmy Carter had negotiated the transaction.
Panama Migration Policy under Mulino
According to Mulino, the subject of migration was also discussed with Rubio. Panama is considered a strategic player in Central America when it comes to containing this. Under Mulino, the number of migrants who cross the life -threatening jungle between Colombia and Panama to the US has decreased considerably. His government has tightened border controls. In 2024, more than 300,000 people passed the jungle. That is about 40 percent less than in the previous year.
After a visit to Panama, Rubio stays to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. There too, the subject of migration will play a central role in view of the mass announced by Trump.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
