Panama audit of Hong Kong’s Hutchison aims to counter US canal narrative
‘The [Panama government] needs concrete data to counter this China is controlling the canal narrative,’ insider says
Panama’s audit of a Hong Kong company, which operates ports at both ends of the country’s canal, aims to provide a robust framework to counter US President Donald Trump’s claims that China controls the waterway, the Post has learned.
“The [Panama government] needs concrete data to counter this ‘China is controlling the canal’ narrative,” a source said on Tuesday.
The insider added that auditing Hutchison Port Holdings would also allow the administration to review a concession signed by Panama’s former president, Laurentino Cortizo.
According to a Panamanian newspaper, the review will also scrutinise a 2021 renewal of Hutchison’s 25-year concession contract, which has been criticised for lacking transparency and producing limited economic benefits for Panama.
The audit was launched amid heightened international tensions following Trump’s inauguration, during which he declared his intention to regain control of the Panama Canal. Trump repeatedly argued that Panama’s agreement enabled China to profit, framing it as a threat to the security and commercial interests of the United States.
“We gave it to Panama, not China, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said in his inauguration speech while alleging treaty violations to justify such actions.
