Hegseth is the second senior U.S. official to visit Panama as President Donald Trump declared “retrieval” of the U.S.-built canal in January to oppose his view of China’s disproportionate influence on waterways.
“Today, the Panama Canal is facing an ongoing threat,” Heggs said in a speech at the police station at the entrance to the transport route.
He added: “The United States of America will not allow China or any other country to threaten the canal’s actions or integrity.”
The United States built a canal of more than a century of history and handed it over to Panama in 1999.
A Hong Kong company called Panama Ports operates two ports at both ends of the canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with five percent of all global transportation experience.
“The Miracle of the World”
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The Trump administration has put a huge pressure on Panama to reduce China’s impact on the canal, which Washington believes is a threat to U.S. national security.
“I think it’s very clear. China hasn’t built this canal. China hasn’t operated this canal. China will not weaponize this canal.”
Speaking with Panama President Jose Raul Mulino, Heges said that the United States and Panama “take the Panama Canal back from China’s influence” and used “the deterrent force of the most powerful, effective, effective, and deadly combat power to keep it open to all countries.”
He claimed that China’s control over critical infrastructure in the canal area allowed Beijing to empower Panama to conduct espionage throughout Panama, which made Panama and the United States “less secure, prosperous and less prosperous.”
The Chinese Embassy issued a statement in Panama, refuting Hergs’ statement that Beijing interfered in the canal’s actions.
“China has never participated in the management or operation of the Panama Canal, nor has it interfered with it,” the statement said.
It marked Hergs’ comment “absolutely not responsible or established” and said the United States “planned a sensationalist movement based on the ‘China threat theory’ to undermine cooperation between China and Panama.
“China has always respected Panama’s sovereignty regarding the canal,” the embassy said.
The Panama Port Concession first approved the canal on the Atlantic side and the port of Balboa in Cristobal Port for the first time in 1997, and was renewed for another 25 years in 2021.
But in the face of Trump’s repeated threats to seize the canal, Panama has put pressure on Panama’s port parent companies CK and Hutchison to withdraw from the country.
In January, it began auditing the Panama Port to determine whether it is honoring its franchise contract.
On the eve of Hegseth’s visit, Panama’s auditor-general announced that the audit revealed “many violations” of the contract and said Panama did not receive $1.2 billion from the operator.
In March, CK and Hutchison announced a deal to sell 43 ports in 23 countries, including its two on the canal, to a group of giant U.S. assets manager Blackrock for $19 billion in cash.
After that, angry Beijing announced an antitrust review of the deal, which likely prevented parties from signing the agreement as planned on April 2.
Hegseth’s visit to Panama came two months after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Shortly thereafter, Panama announced that it would withdraw from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s global infrastructure plan for landmarks, the Belt and Road Initiative.
