On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino to tour the Panama Canal, as the Trump administration makes a push for control of the critical canal. This is Rubio's first international trip as secretary of state and will include stops in other Latin American countries, as well.
The Panama Canal serves as a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. And although the U.S. led the construction of the major waterway that around 40% of the world's cargo ship traffic now moves through, its control was given to Panama in 1999.
Trump has repeatedly stated that China has too much control of the Panama canal, and that the United States needs to be fully in charge of the vital transportation waterway for economic security; Panamanian President Mulino has refuted those claims, however, he stated on Sunday that his country would not renew an agreement to be part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and added that Panama would seek to work with the U.S. on new investments instead, including infrastructure projects. Mulino also reiterated on Sunday during his meeting with Rubio that his country's sovereignty over the Panama Canal was not up for debate, and said he addressed the China concerns during their talks.
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