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Panama and China Reject Trump's Claims on Panama Canal Control

Panama and China have both pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks regarding the Panama Canal, following his threat to seize control of the strategic waterway.

On Wednesday, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino firmly rejected Trump’s assertions, stating that the Panama Canal “was not a gift” from the United States. Mulino's comments came in response to Trump’s claim that China was effectively in control of the canal, a statement that raised tensions between the U.S. and the two nations.

“We reject in its entirety everything that Mr. Trump has said,” Mulino said during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “First because it is false, and second because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama. The Panama Canal was not a concession or a gift from the United States.”

Trump, who has previously suggested military action to take control of the canal, reiterated his complaint during his inauguration on Monday. He accused China of "operating" the canal, which was handed over to Panama in 1999 after being under U.S. control since its opening in 1914. "We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back," Trump declared.

In response to these remarks, Panama City filed a formal complaint with the United Nations on Tuesday, citing an article of the UN Charter that prohibits the use of force or threats against a nation’s territorial integrity. The letter, directed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, called for the UN Security Council to address the matter.

Beijing also responded to Trump’s comments on Wednesday, with a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating, “China does not participate in the management and operation of the canal and has never interfered in the affairs of the canal.”

Mulino reiterated Panama’s stance, emphasizing that the canal operates on a principle of neutrality, free from foreign interference. However, Panama has now announced plans for an audit of both the canal and the Panama Ports Company, which operates the Balboa and Cristobal ports at either end of the canal. This company is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings.

Trump’s comments on the Panama Canal are part of a series of controversial statements. In addition to his remarks on the canal, Trump has stirred international attention with his suggestion to use military or economic pressure to force Denmark to sell Greenland to the U.S., as well as his proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
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