Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino firmly refuted US President-elect Donald Trump‘s assertion that Chinese soldiers are controlling the Panama Canal, calling the claim “nonsense.”
“There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal. You are free, the whole world is free to visit the canal if you please,” Mulino said at a news conference Thursday.
“What [Trump] has said on this issue is nonsense; it does not exist,” he added.
The controversy began Christmas Day when Trump posted on Truth Social, sarcastically wishing a merry Christmas to “the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal.”
He accused Panama of “ripping off” the US and suggested the US was being forced to spend “billions of dollars in ‘repair’ money” with no say about the canal’s operations.
The Panamanian leader underscored the canal’s sovereignty and dismissed Trump’s threats to take control of the waterway.
“The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable,” Mulino declared, reaffirming Panama’s ownership and management of the canal.
-TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY CRITICISMS
Trump, who also floated the idea of US ownership of Greenland in a separate post last weekend, has been vocal about what he views as unfair practices by foreign nations.
In recent months, he has criticized Canada and Mexico for trade and border policies and mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, suggesting Canada could become the 51st US state.
Mulino reiterated that the Panama Canal remains fully under Panamanian control and that China plays no operational role.
“There are no Chinese on the canal. As simple as that. Neither the Chinese nor any other power are in the channel,” he said, adding that any Chinese presence in the area would likely be limited to tourists or passengers aboard cruise ships.
The Panama Canal, a vital trade route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is operated exclusively by Panama.
While a Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports near the canal’s entrances, Mulino emphasized that it does not equate to Chinese influence over its operations.
“I reiterate, there is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything that has to do with the Panama Canal,” Mulino said.