The United States is determined to eliminate China’s “evil influence” on the Panama Canal as part of the effort to “make America again be great”the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth said Wednesday in Panama.
Hegseth eluded delicate questions about whether the US recognizes Panama’s sovereignty about the channel, which President Donald Trump has promised to “recover” without ruling out the use of force if necessary.
“We certainly understand that the Panama Canal is in Panama, ”Hegseth told journalists, while repeatedly spoke of the need to protect the “sovereignty of the Chinese influence channel.”
But Panama Public Security Minister Frank Abrego said that in a private meeting with President José Raúl Mulino, Hegseth He had recognized the country’s sovereignty over the channel. Asked about it, Hegseth said the media were creating “false news” to divide the US and Panama.
Abrego said that Mulino had made it clear that the country cannot accept US military basesbut pointed out 18 joint exercises and made it clear that cooperation with the US continues.
“First and free”
The head of the Pentagon visited Panama to hold bilateral conversations and participate in the Security Conference of Central America. Hegesh and Abrego signed a memorandum of understanding on safety cooperation before their press conference and planned to sign a framework agreement for US ships and Panamanians to transit “first and freely” through the channel. Both officials said the agreement would be structured in accordance with the Panamanian Constitution and the authorities that govern the channel.
Hegesh said that countries would work together in improvements to the infrastructure of the channel, and that “the channel authority will begin paying the body of engineers for their experience and technical support.”
“We have to recognize the threat that China represents for our countries, for our people and for peace in this region,” said Hegseth previously at the conference. “China companies are capturing land and critical infrastructure in strategic sectors such as energy and telecommunications. The Chinese army has a presence too large in the western hemisphere.”
On Wednesday, Hegseth refused to rule out that the US uses the military force to seize the channel if their conditions are not met.
On Tuesday, Hegesh had promoted cooperation between the two countries in security matters and highlights the ongoing joint military exercises. He described a couple of ports operated by CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., the company based in Hong Kong, as possible threats to the US safety.
A plan to sell port assets to a consortium led by Blackrock Inc. has caused China’s opposition And Panama’s accusations that CK Hutchison did not pay about US $ 1.2 billion to the Panamanian state for the concession contract to manage the two ports.
