Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has said that Chinese troops illegally operate in the area of the Panama Canal, ensuring that Washington “puts in billions of dollars in repair money.”
“Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in “repair” money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about ‘anything,'” Trump said on Truth Social late on Wednesday.
Trump said on Sunday that he would demand a return of the Panama Canal to US ownership unless the Panamanian authorities regulate its “ridiculously” high fees. Trump said the Panama Canal is considered a vital national asset for the United States because of its critical role in the economy and national security. However, he called the high fees charged by Panama “ridiculous” and said this “rip-off” must stop.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said that the Panama Canal fully belonged to Panama under the 1977 treaty and the country’s sovereignty was non-negotiable.
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China will always respect Panama’s sovereignty over the Panama Canal and will recognize it as “a permanently neutral international waterway.”
The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway on the territory of Panama in Central America, crossing the Isthmus of Panama at its lowest point and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is one of the most important transportation waterways worldwide.
