President Donald Trump accuses China of interfering with the sovereignty of the Panama Canal and says that a treaty of neutrality was injured
The Secretary of State of, Marco Rubio, said that Washington could “take necessary measures”If the Panamenses do not reduce the Chinese influence on the Panama Canal. The speech is in the midst of US President Donald Trump (Republican Party) to take control of the channel.
Rubio says the presence of 2 ports in the Panama channel entrances run by Chinese CK Hutchinson Holdings hurt the 1999 signed neutrality treaty, which attests to the channel will remain open to any ship in any country.
According to the news agency the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino (performing goals, right), signaled that he could review established trade agreements with China and Chinese companies. It stressed, however, that there will be no with the United States about the sovereignty of the Panama Canal.
On Sunday (2.Fev.2025), Trump said that China is controlling the Panama channel and said the United States intends to resume power over the passage.
“China is controlling the Panama Canal. He was not given to China, was given to Panama, but they violated the deal and we will take it back, or something very powerful will happen”He said, according to adding that the use of military force “It will not be necessary”.
Marco Rubio made a visit to the Panama Canal during Sunday (2.FEV), where he met with President Mulino. The meeting, according to Panamanho, was cordial. THE Reuters He detailed that Mulino assured revising concession contracts with CK Hutchinson, which were renewed in 2021 and are constant targets of companies and the US government itself, which claims that they violate the neutrality treaty.
This proposition, as the news agency explains, is rejected by Panama authorities, especially since the channel is run by the port authority, an independent agency supervised by the local government.
Mulino, however, has confirmed that he will not renew an agreement with the Chinese government to contribute to the China’s belt and route initiative, which allowed investments from the Asian country on the Panama Canal.
“Let’s study the possibility of terminating you earlier. I don’t believe there is a threat at the moment to the treaty [de neutralidade]its validity, let alone a possibility of the use of military force to make it apply”Said the president.
Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese government, told That China “never interfered”In the Panama Canal and which respects the sovereignty of the Central American country over the body of water.
The channel
The Panama Canal began to be built by France in 1880. However, the high complexity of the project and workers’ mortality led the French government to stop the work.
In 1904, the United States took over the project, implementing disease control measures and adopting an enlusted system (species of ship elevator) to circumvent problems caused by irregular terrain. After a decade of work, the channel opened in 1914, remaining under US administration until the end of the century.
The US sovereignty over the channel, however, created discontent between the Panamanians, resulting in diplomatic protests and tensions. In response, presidents Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos signed in 1977 the Torrijos-Carter treaties, establishing the gradual transfer of channel control to Panama.
On December 31, 1999, Panama fully took over the channel’s administration, considered one of the largest works of modern engineering.
