The president asserted that China was exerting control over the waterway and leveraging it against the United States, and he reiterated his dedication to either reclaiming the canal or negotiating a new agreement upon disembarking from Air Force One at Joint Andrews Airbase.
Currently, there is a sense of great joy among the people. The occurrence was unexpected. Consequently, they find themselves at home, safe with their families. This event holds considerable importance. We are currently discussing the Panama Canal while Secretary of State Rubio is present in Panama. A serious breach has taken place; they have violated the contract, which they are not authorized to do. The operation of the Panama Canal is under Chinese control, a decision that was made to hand it over to Panama rather than China. Nevertheless, they have breached the contract, and we may either annul it or face a significant consequence. In relation to other topics, Trump stated to reporters, ‘As you know, we have had an exceptionally busy week.’
During his weekend trip to Panama, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned the leaders that failure to promptly address China’s growing influence over the canal would result in repercussions from the United States. Subsequently, Trump alerted reporters that ‘a significant action will be taken’ if control of the canal is not granted to the US.
Historically, the president has hinted at the possibility of employing economic and military leverage to convince Panama to relinquish control of the canal.
