US defense secretary says China is a threat to Panama Canal, spurring a fiery response from Beijing U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at Port of Rodman in West Panama, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

“Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump claimed in his inaugural speech last month. There’s no evidence ...

When it comes to the Panama Canal, some observers say that Chinese firms’ involvement in the canal and its infrastructure could give Beijing leverage – both in terms of commercial advantage ...

When it comes to the Panama Canal, some observers say that Chinese firms’ involvement in the canal and its infrastructure could give Beijing leverage – both in terms of commercial advantage ...

Does China have a presence in the Panama Canal? The Trump administration’s key concern is found at either end of the waterway, where two of the five ports that service the canal are operated by ...

But the president of Panama who had led a tilt toward Beijing, Juan Carlos Varela, left office in 2019. Mary Triny Zea contributed reporting from Panama City, Annie Correal from Mexico City, and ...

But many serve as points of future multi-domain access for [China] and strategic naval chokepoints," before citing the Panama Canal by name. This stands in stark contrast to how Beijing ...

Today, Panama holds special strategic significance for China because of the canal, but Beijing has been working to expand its influence in Latin America, and among developing countries more broadly.

Trump’s Panama Canal threats designed to scuttle China influence The president-elect intends to push back on Beijing’s “growth and strategic footprint” in the Western Hemisphere, said ...