President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military force to retake control of the Panama Canal, while making unsubstantiated claims about Chinese control of the waterway.
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, when directly questioned about potential military or economic coercion regarding both Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump responded with an ominous “No.. I can’t assure you on either of those two.”
Trump justified his stance by emphasizing the canal’s strategic importance, stating, “The Panama Canal was built for our military… It’s being operated by China. China! And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn’t give it to China. And they’ve abused it.”
The statement comes amid an escalating dispute between Trump and Panama over Panama canal operations, with Trump recently criticizing Panama’s “exorbitant” toll structure and alleged control by Chinese interests.
The Panama Canal, which handles approximately 6% of global maritime trade, has been struggling with operational challenges and drought-related issues.
Panamanian officials have strongly rejected Trump’s assertions, defending their sovereign control over the canal. The Panama Canal is operated and maintained by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous agency of the Panamanian government. The ACP assumed control of the canal on December 31, 1999, when the United States transferred the canal to Panama under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties.
While a Chinese company, Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, operates two terminals at opposite ends of the Panama Canal, there are no known direct links between CK Hutchison and the Chinese Communist Party.
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