Panama Canal chief denies Trump’s claims of Chinese meddling
Despite the US president-elect’s demands, administrator Ricaurte Vásquez says American ships can’t get special treatment
The administrator of the Panama Canal said on Friday that the vital waterway will remain in Panamanian hands and open to commerce from all countries, rejecting claims by US president-elect Donald Trump that the United States should take it over.
In an interview with Associated Press, Ricaurte Vásquez denied Trump’s claims that China was controlling the canal’s operations, and said making exceptions to current rules controlling its operation would lead to “chaos”.
He said Chinese companies operating in the ports on either end of the canal were part of a Hong Kong consortium that won a bidding process in 1997. He added that US and Taiwanese companies are operating other ports along the canal as well.
Trump has gone so far as to suggest the US should take control of the canal back and he would not rule out using military might to do so.
“It might be that you’ll have to do something,” Trump said on Tuesday. “The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” Trump has characterised the fees for transiting the canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as “ridiculous”.
Panama President José Raúl Mulino has said unequivocally that the canal will remain in Panamanian hands.
02:02
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