Little Marco threatens Panama over China canal influence

Source: Axios

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama officials that Chinese influence over the Panama Canal must be curbed or the U.S. will take retaliatory actions, the State Department said Sunday. Rubio told [anama President Jose Raul] Mulino and [Forign Minister Javier] Martinez-Acha that Trump has made ‘a preliminary determination’ that the current Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area is a threat to the canal, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. … Panama’s president told reporters his country won’t give up the control over the canal, but stressed that the government is going to conduct an audit of Chinese operated ports on both sides of the canal and present the findings to the U.S. Mulino also said Panama will not renew its agreement with China about Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative, that will expire next year and will check if it can get out of it sooner.” (02/03/25)

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/02/trump-panama-canal-china-rubio