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.