US, allies release joint statement supporting Panama’s sovereignty

The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago released a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty on Tuesday, saying recent actions by China are an attempt to politicize maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are monitoring with vigilance China’s targeted economic pressure and the recent actions that have affected Panama-flagged vessels,” the statement said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system, and as such must remain free from any undue external pressure.”
Panama’s Supreme Court in late January invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession granting CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company the right to operate the Balboa and Cristobal terminals on the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the Panama Canal.
The cancellation followed mounting U.S. pressure to curb Chinese influence around the strategic canal, which handles about 5% of global maritime trade.