As US President Trump continues to threaten to seize control of the crucial canal, China calls on Panama to “resist external interference” in its Belt and Road collaboration.
President Jose Raul Mulino has stated that Panama has officially withdrawn from China’s huge Belt and Road development program in response to demands from the United States to lessen Beijing’s influence over the Panama Canal.
The Panamanian Embassy in Beijing has given China the statutory 90-day notice of its decision to not renew its participation in the scheme, Mulino told reporters Thursday.
Mulino further charged that the US government had lied the day before when the US State Department said that US government ships would be allowed to pass through the nation’s eponymous canal free of charge.
Mulino told reporters that he “absolutely rejects” the idea of handling US-Panama relations “based on lies and falsehoods”.
China said it supports Panama after the Central American country denied Trump administration claims that US government ships may pass through the Panama Canal for free, according to official media.
Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing that China has “always respected Panama’s sovereignty over the canal and recognized the canal’s status as a permanently neutral international waterway”.
Denying the US claim
Guo made it clear that China “respects the management and operation of the canal by the Panamanian government and has never interfered in canal affairs”.
Early Thursday, Panama rejected the U.S. claim.
According to the US State Department, US Government ships could now pass through the Panama Canal free of charge, potentially saving the US millions of dollars a year.
The State Department shared an image of a naval warship entering the canal’s locks along with the statement, “The US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge, saving the US government millions of dollars a year”, on X.
The Panama Canal Authority, which is in charge of determining tolls and other expenses, responded by disputing the allegation, saying it “has not made any adjustments” and was amenable to “establishing a dialogue with US officials”.
According to Panama’s Embassy in Cuba, the US has paid $25.4 million for the passage of warships and submarines during the last 26 years, or less than $1 million a year on average.
Furthermore, in the face of Trump’s persistent threats to seize control of the crucial canal, China urged Panama to “resist external interference” in its Belt and Road collaboration.
