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China Angry About Panama Cana 02/07 06:32

   China on Friday lashed out at what it called U.S. "coercion" after Panama 
declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing following 
Washington's threat to take back the Panama Canal.

   BEIJING (AP) -- China on Friday lashed out at what it called U.S. "coercion" 
after Panama declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing 
following Washington's threat to take back the Panama Canal.

   Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing that China "firmly 
opposes the U.S. smearing and undermining the Belt and Road cooperation through 
means of pressure and coercion."

   The Belt and Road Initiative is President Xi Jinping's signature foreign 
police drive to bind China closer to countries in the region and beyond by 
building roads, railways, airports, power plants and other infrastructure. The 
program has completed some major projects but also raised concerns about debt 
and environmental impact.

   Panama's decision to walk away from it was seen as a concession to the U.S. 
over the canal after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Panamanian 
leader Jos Ral Mulino on Sunday that Panama must immediately reduce what 
President Donald Trump says is Chinese influence over the canal area or face 
potential retaliation from the United States.

   Mulino has rejected pressure from the new U.S. government to discuss 
ownership of a waterway that is vital to global trade.

   Despite that, some believe Panama may be open to a compromise under which 
canal operations on both sides are taken away from the Hong Kong-based 
Hutchison Ports company, which was given a 25-year no-bid extension to run 
them. An audit into the suitability of that extension is already underway and 
could lead to a rebidding process.

   A drop in water levels in the canal due to drought has slowed transit 
through the canal, raising further complaints from Trump, although the delays 
appear to have nothing to do with China.

   Lin said the Belt and Road Initiative has brought "active participation" 
from over 150 countries and that it has brought "fruitful results" to Panama 
and China, but gave no examples.

   "We hope Panama will bear in mind the general picture of bilateral 
relationship and the long-term interests of both peoples, resist external 
interference, and make the right decision," Lin said.

 
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