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Home News US Secretary of State Pressures Panama on China’s Role Near Panama Canal

US Secretary of State Pressures Panama on China’s Role Near Panama Canal

by Celia

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a stern message to Panama’s leader José Raúl Mulino on Sunday: Reduce China’s influence around the Panama Canal area or face potential US retaliation. Rubio’s visit marked his first foreign trip as the top US diplomat, during which he toured the canal and met with Mulino. The Panamanian leader has resisted US pressure over the management of the canal, a crucial global trade route.

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After the meeting, Mulino told reporters that Rubio did not make any “real threat of retaking the canal or using force.” Rubio, speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump, argued that China’s presence in the canal area might violate a treaty that led the US to hand over the canal to Panama in 1999. The treaty requires the canal to remain neutral.

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“Secretary 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,” the State Department said in a summary of the meeting.

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The statement was unusually blunt for diplomatic language, reflecting Trump’s aggressive foreign policy approach. Trump has been increasing pressure on neighboring countries, including demanding the canal’s return and imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Mulino described his talks with Rubio as “respectful” and “positive,” adding that he did not “feel like there’s a real threat against the treaty and its validity.” However, he announced that Panama would not renew its agreement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative when it expires. Critics say the initiative leaves poor countries heavily in debt to China.

Rubio also toured the canal with its administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez, who emphasized that the canal will remain under Panamanian control and open to all countries. Meanwhile, about 200 protesters marched in Panama City, chanting slogans against Rubio and Trump.

Rubio also pressed Panama to collaborate on curbing illegal immigration, a key focus of the Trump administration. However, US foreign aid cuts have halted programs targeting illegal migration and crime in Central America.

It remains unclear whether Trump would accept transferring canal operations from a Chinese company to an American or European one. Rubio’s trip will also include visits to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, amid a freeze in US foreign assistance.

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