The Panamanian side officially notified Beijing about its decision to exit the Belt and Road Initiative. The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, stated that he instructed diplomats to submit the necessary statement to leave the project.
The president also discussed the decision to enter the agreement and said that he „does not know what the intention of those who signed this agreement [in 2017]. “He also spoke about the lack of benefits this project has brought to the country.
Panama’s decision followed the visit of the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, which was preceded by the statements made by Donald Trump about China’s control of the Panama Canal. Marco Rubio also spoke on the issue, saying that having Hong Kong-controlled companies “control the entrances and exits” of the channel is completely unacceptable. He also talked about China’s influence on Hong Kong. He stated, that “If there’s a conflict and China tells them, do everything you can to obstruct the canal so that the US can’t engage in trade and commerce, so that the US military and naval fleet cannot get to the Indo-Pacific fast enough, they would have to do it.”
Panama itself denies the involvement of the US, although the United States assesses the decision openly and positively.
The Chinese side also responded to Panama’s decision: the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on Panama to “make the right decision” and stated that this action was not in the interests of Panama. According to the statement, China hopes that Panama “will make the decision based on the overall situation of bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples, and eliminate external interference.”
Beijing assesses the actions of the US as pressure on Panama, the purpose of which is to undermine the cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. As for Rubio’s visit to Panama, the Foreign Ministry of China finds that the US Secretary of State’s comments “unjustly accuse China, deliberately sow discord between China and relevant Latin American countries, interfere in China’s internal affairs, and undermine China’s legitimate rights and interests”.
