On January 28, a bipartisan group of US senators warned about China's influence on the Panama Canal, while the US State Department confirmed that part of the purpose of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Central America trip was to counter Beijing in the region.
Ships moving towards the Panama Canal
Speaking at a hearing on January 28 in the US Senate on the role of the Panama Canal in trade and national security of the country, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz said Chinese companies are building a bridge across the canal, according to Reuters today, January 29.
Construction is progressing slowly and could take nearly a decade to complete and control the container terminals at both ends, according to Mr. Cruz.
"The bridge, now partially completed, gives China the ability to blockade the canal without warning, and the ports provide China with the timekeeping capabilities to calculate the timing of such an action. The situation poses urgent risks to US national security," the US senator stressed.
Panama denies Trump: No Chinese soldiers in the canal
Also on January 28, Fox News quoted US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirming that part of the purpose of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming trip to Central America is to counter China's influence in the region.
Asked whether Secretary Rubio would "set the rules" with Panama on the canal, spokesman Bruce said the trip was not about setting rules, but about developing relationships and convincing countries to believe in good relations with the United States.
Mr. Rubio is expected to depart on January 31 and the trip will take place in the first week of February, visiting Panama and four other Central American countries, respectively Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador, according to Reuters citing informed sources.
The trip is still in planning stages and the itinerary is subject to change, the source added.
Panama Canal Controversy
The Panama Canal is currently a contentious issue between US President Donald Trump and the Panamanian government. Each year, more than 40% of US container traffic, worth an estimated $270 billion, passes through the Panama Canal, accounting for more than two-thirds of the ships that pass through the canal each day.
In his inaugural address on January 20, the US leader accused Panama of breaking its promise to hand over the canal to the US in 1999 and instead transferred control of the strategic shipping route to China. Mr. Trump declared that Washington would regain control of the Panama Canal.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino ruled out negotiations over control of the Panama Canal, insisting that China does not interfere in canal operations and declaring that there will be no reduction in fees for US ships.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning also rejected President Trump's accusations, asserting that Beijing is not involved in the management and operation of the canal and has never interfered in its operations. She stressed that China has always respected Panama's sovereignty over the canal and recognized the canal as a permanent neutral shipping lane for the world.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhom-thuong-nghi-si-my-quan-ngai-ve-anh-huong-cua-trung-quoc-o-kenh-dao-panama-185250129074715681.htm
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