Amid the deepening tariff war between the US and China, Washington has called Beijing a threat to the Panama Canal. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Panama Canal is facing a threat from China, but the US and Panama will work together to keep the canal safe.
China, enraged by this statement of the US Defense Minister, has reacted sharply. It said that America has used blackmailing to advance its interests. Speaking at an event at the Balboa Naval Base after meeting Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, Hegseth said the United States would not allow China or any other country to jeopardize the operation of the canal.
He said, ‘For this, the US and Panama have worked very hard in recent weeks to strengthen their defense and security cooperation.’ The US Defense Minister said, ‘Chinese companies maintain their control over important infrastructure in the canal area. This allows China to conduct surveillance activities in Panama. This makes Panama and the United States less safe, less prosperous and less sovereign. President Donald Trump has pointed this out. This situation is not acceptable.