US Accuses China of Threatening Panama Canal, Beijing Slams “Geopolitical Blackmail”
WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Tuesday that the Panama Canal is facing “ongoing threats” from China, warning that the United States will not allow any foreign power to jeopardize its operations. Speaking alongside Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino at a US-funded naval dock opening, Hegseth stressed that recent steps have significantly deepened US-Panama defense and security cooperation.
Hegseth specifically pointed to ports at either end of the canal currently leased to a Hong Kong-based consortium, warning that such control enables China to conduct surveillance in Panama, undermining regional sovereignty and security. “China did not build this canal, does not operate it, and will not weaponize it,” Hegseth asserted. He further emphasized that the US, alongside Panama, intends to maintain the canal’s security through the strength of American military deterrence.
The comments ignited a sharp response from the Chinese Embassy in Panama, which accused Washington of using “blackmail” to sabotage China-Panama cooperation. Beijing dismissed the “theoretical Chinese threat” as a fabrication serving US geopolitical interests and reminded Washington that Panama’s economic partnerships are a sovereign matter. Meanwhile, tensions also linger over allegations by former President Donald Trump, who claims the US is being overcharged for canal access and has even suggested reasserting control over the strategic waterway.
