Panama's president agrees not to extend agreements with China
Photo: Raúl Mulino, President of Panama (facebook.com/joseraulmulino)
Panama will not renew its memorandum of cooperation with China's Belt and Road initiative. The agreement with China may be terminated earlier than planned, according to Panamanian President Raúl Mulino, quoted by CNN.
Mulino's statement came after the 47th President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump reiterated his desire to “take back” the Panama Canal and threatened “powerful” actions by Washington because of China's presence around the vital waterway.
“China is running the Panama Canal that was not given to China, that was given to Panama foolishly, but they violated the agreement, and we’re going to take it back, or something very powerful is going to happen,” the US president said.
Mulino, for his part, assured that Panama's sovereignty over the Panama Canal is indisputable. At the same time, his country is ready for a dialogue to address US concerns about Chinese influence in the region.
He noted that the government would not renew the 2017 memorandum of understanding on joining China's Belt and Road initiative and that the agreement might be terminated earlier than planned.
Trump's encroachment on Panama Canal
On January 20, in his inaugural speech, Trump said that the United States plans to take control of the Panama Canal. At the time, he claimed that there was a violation of agreements and that China was allegedly managing the canal. In response, Mulino said that no state can interfere in the management of the Panama Canal.
Yesterday, February 2, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid a visit to Panama. During a meeting with the president, he delivered an ultimatum on the Panama Canal.
