China says Panama ties should not be subject to third-party interference

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, met with Panama's Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, emphasizing Beijing's readiness to expand practical cooperation with the Central American nation. During their meeting on the sidelines of a United Nations Security Council session in New York, Wang urged Panama to safeguard the rights of Chinese companies operating there.

Wang explicitly stated that relations between China and Panama should not be subject to interference from other countries. This comment is widely seen as a reference to U.S. pressure concerning Chinese-linked infrastructure projects near the vital Panama Canal, a waterway crucial for global trade.

“

China-Panama ties should not be subject to third-party interference

The diplomatic exchange occurs amid heightened tensions surrounding two key container terminals at Balboa and Cristobal. These terminals, situated at the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the canal, are operated independently of the waterway itself. Panama's Supreme Court recently declared unconstitutional the legal framework for a concession, originally granted in 1997 and extended in 2021, to the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed CK Hutchison.

Both Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have condemned the court's decision against CK Hutchison's port concessions, labeling it an "act of bad faith." This cancellation followed significant U.S. pressure aimed at curbing Chinese influence around the strategically important canal. CK Hutchison, which had managed the ports for nearly three decades, has initiated an international arbitration case against Panama, seeking over $2 billion in damages and accusing Panamanian authorities of unlawful property seizure.

“

act of bad faith