US Threatens Action Against Panama Over Chinese Influence on Canal
Rubio’s First Trip Abroad as Top US Diplomat
On his first trip overseas as the top US diplomat, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened action against Panama without immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the Panama Canal. However, the country’s leader, President Jose Raul Mulino, insisted that he was not afraid of a US invasion and offered talks to clear up concerns.
Rubio’s Firmer Message
Rubio took a guided tour of the canal accompanied by its Panamanian administrator as a South Korean-affiliated oil tanker and Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship passed through the vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, he had a firmer message in private, telling Panama that President Donald Trump had determined that the country had violated terms of the treaty that handed over the canal at the end of 1999. Rubio pointed to the "influence and control" of China over the canal, through which some 40 percent of US container traffic passes.
Panama’s Response
Meeting President Mulino, Rubio "made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. Mulino, however, painted a rosier portrait of the meeting, welcoming Rubio at his official residence in the tropical capital’s old quarter and proposing technical-level talks with the United States to clear up concerns.
Sovereignty and Migration
Mulino stressed that sovereignty over the canal is not in question and that he is committed to cooperation with the United States on the issue of migration. He offered Rubio the use of an airstrip in the town of Meteti in Darien, the dense, prohibitive jungle that has become a major crossing point for migrants seeking to exit South America en route to the United States. The deportation plan "suits us very well, to be honest," Mulino said.
Protests
Small but intense protests broke out in Panama ahead of Rubio’s visit, with protesters burning him in effigy and police firing tear gas. "Rubio, get out of Panama!" around 200 demonstrators chanted as the former senator met Mulino. "To the imperial messenger," union leader Saul Mendez said of Rubio, "we reiterate that there is absolutely nothing here for Trump. Panama is a free and sovereign nation."
The Panama Canal: A Historical and Strategic Asset
The Panama Canal, which Trump has dubbed a modern "wonder of the world," was built by the United States and opened in 1914 at the cost of thousands of lives of laborers, mostly people of African descent from Barbados, Jamaica, and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Jimmy Carter negotiated the agreement that gave the canal to Panama, with the late president seeing a moral imperative for a superpower to respect a smaller country.
FAQs
Q: What is the Panama Canal’s significance?
A: The Panama Canal is a vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It is a critical route for global trade and commerce, with nearly 75 percent of cargo passing through the canal coming from the United States.
Q: What is the current state of Chinese influence on the Panama Canal?
A: The Panama Canal is controlled by a Hong Kong-based company, and China has gained significant influence through surrounding infrastructure. This has raised concerns among the US government that China could potentially shut down the canal in a conflict, spelling catastrophe for the United States.
Q: What are the US demands for Panama?
A: The US is demanding that Panama take immediate action to reduce Chinese influence on the canal and ensure that it remains under US control. If no changes are made, the US may take measures to protect its rights under the treaty, including potentially using military force.