Rubio pushes Panama to reduce the Chinese effect on the channel
US Secretary of State Marco, Mr. Rubio, told President Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday that Central American ally should immediately reduce the Chinese influence on the Panama Channel area or to face the potential revenge of the Trump administration. Mr. Mulino later said that “there is no real threat to recover the channel or use strength.”
On his first foreign trip as the best diplomat in America, Mr. Rubio held faces to face with Mr. Mulino, who resisted pressure from the new US government because of the management of a waterway for global trade.
Speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump, who demanded the return of the channel to the control of the United States, Mr. Rubio Mulino told Mr. Trump a preliminary decision that the presence of China in the canal area violates a treaty that led to the United States turning the waterway to Panama in 1999. That treaty to the permanent neutrality of the American channel.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a summary of the meeting.
“I don’t feel a real threat against the treaty and its validity,” said Mr. Mulino.
The warning comes from Mr. Rubio, as Mr. Trump increased the pressure on Washington’s neighbors and allies, including the demand for the channel. On Saturday, Trump announced that it imposes a great tariff on Canada and Mexico, which led to revenge on those countries.
Mr. Mulino described it as a “good -intention” meeting “respected” and “positive” and a contract “to clarify doubts.” He admitted that China’s role in ports at the end of the channel raised concerns with Washington. But the president said that the consortium that controlled it was scrutinized and that the authority of the channel would give Mr. Rubio a more detailed explanation.
Mr. Mulino said that Panama will not renew her agreement with the Belt and Road Initiative in China when its validity ends.
About 200 people made a march in the city of Panama, carried the flags of Panamomoria and shouted “Marco Rubio outside Panama”, “Long Patriotism” and “One Land, and One Flag” while the meeting was continuing. Some burned a banner with pictures of Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio after they stopped the presidential palace by the riot police.
Mr. Rubio later planned to tour the channel.
Mr. Mulino said he hoped that Mr. Rubio’s visit will focus on common interests such as immigration and drug trafficking. However, Rubio’s journey comes as freezing orders for US foreign aid and stoppage orders that have closed the United States -funded programs that target illegal immigration and crime in Central American countries.
Mr. Rubio also pressed the highest concentration of Mr. Trump – curbed illegal immigration – the President of Panama tells that it is important to cooperate and thank him for restoring migrants.
In an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Mr. Rubio said that mass immigration, drugs and hostile policies followed by Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have caused ruin, and ports facilities are managed at either side of the channel by a company based in China and left the waterway vulnerable to pressure From the government of Beijing.
“We will address this topic,” said Mr. Rubio one day ago. “The president was quite clear that he wanted to manage the channel again. It is clear that the Banmeans are not a big fans of this idea. This message has been brought very clear.”
The channel that America designed to the Banmeans was delivered in 1999 and strongly objected to Mr. Trump’s request to restore it.
Although Mr. Mulino rejected any negotiations on ownership, some believe that Panama may be open to the settlement under which the channels are transferred to both sides of Hong Kong -based Hong Kong, which was granted 25 years without an extension bid to operate them. Checking the suitability of this extension is already underway and may lead to a redistribution process.
What is unclear is whether Mr. Trump will accept the transfer of the concession to an American or European company as it meets his demands, which seem to cover more than just operations.
The journey of Mr. Rubio, which will also take him to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, comes amid freezing in US foreign assistance. On Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Mr. Rubio had agreed to exemptions for some important programs in the countries he is visiting, but the details of those were not immediately available.
This story was reported by Associated Press.
The Associated Press Joan Zamurano and Eline Nikir’s book contributed to this report.