Less than a month after his inauguration, President Donald Trump successfully pressured the Panamanian government to accept White House terms and push China aside. Following a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Panama Canal has effectively come under Washington's control. In the early hours of Monday, February 3. In edition, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced his country's withdrawal from Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.
On February 2, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Panama for an official visit. According to President Jose Mulino, the talks with Rubio were conducted in a respectful and positive manner, and no threats were made regarding the seizure of the Panama Canal. Mulino stated that the negotiations would help attract American investments to the country.
During the talks, Rubio stressed that Washington would not tolerate the status quo of the Panama Canal against the backdrop of China's growing influence in the region. Even before Rubio's visit, US officials had openly voiced concerns about China's increasing foothold. In response, the US House of Representatives proposed an initiative to purchase the Panama Canal.
On February 3, President Trump announced that the issue of the Panama Canal would be resolved without the involvement of American troops.
“China's running the Panama Canal… it was not given to China… But they violated the agreement and we're going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen,” Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday.