Panama Asked To ‘Reduce China Influence’ Over Canal

UNITED STATES – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded “immediate changes” to limit China’s influence over the Panama Canal, warning Panama on Sunday that it must act or face U.S. measures under a decades-old treaty.

President Jose Raul Mulino pledged to end a 2017 deal with China’s belt and road initiative, calling it a “great step forward.”

But Panamanians are protesting president Trump’s vow to retake the canal, recalling the 1989 U.S. invasion.

They insist the waterway has belonged to Panama since 1999, rejecting claims that Chinese investments threaten U.S. Security.