It was a Christmas message that nobody noticed coming.
On Dec. 25, President-elect Donald J. Trump went on his social media platform, Fact Social, to want a “Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal.”
Mr. Trump’s declare is fake. The Panama Canal is operated by an company of the Panamanian authorities, not by Chinese language troopers. In a information convention, President José Raúl Mulino of Panama disputed Mr. Trump’s statements, saying that there have been “no Chinese in the canal” past these in transiting ships or on the customer heart.
“There is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything that has to do with the Panama Canal,” Mr. Mulino mentioned.
Whereas Mr. Trump’s declare was inaccurate, the rising affect of Chinese language firms and the Chinese language authorities over transport and international ports, together with the Panama Canal, has grow to be a priority for U.S. officers.
The Chinese language authorities has invested closely in constructing ports all through the world. And on condition that China is the world’s greatest exporter, non-public Chinese language firms now play a serious function in transport and port operations, giving them vital affect over the motion of worldwide items and strategic positions from which to watch different international locations’ actions.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Trump-Vance transition workforce, mentioned in a press release that “Chinese control of the Panama Canal absolutely poses a national security threat to the U.S.”
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