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Artikel Panama Reassesses Port Deal Amid U.S.-China Tensions pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
]]>The contract in question grants CK Hutchison Holdings the rights to operate ports at both entrances of the Panama Canal. Originally secured in 1997, the concession was renewed in 2021 for an additional 25 years. However, following discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino indicated a potential review of this agreement, pending the results of an audit.
This development comes on the heels of Panama’s decision to let its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) expire. The BRI, a global infrastructure strategy launched by China, has been viewed by the U.S. as a means for Beijing to expand its geopolitical influence through “debt trap diplomacy.” Rubio lauded Panama’s move as a positive step for U.S.-Panama relations and the autonomy of the Panama Canal.
The U.S. has long harbored concerns about Chinese companies’ activities near the Panama Canal, a critical maritime route facilitating approximately 3% of global seaborne trade annually. A Hong Kong-based firm operates two ports at the canal’s entrances, while two Chinese state-owned enterprises are constructing a fourth bridge over one of the canal’s entrances. The U.S. perceives China’s presence in these strategic areas as a potential threat to the canal’s neutrality and a violation of the U.S.-Panama treaty.
Artikel Panama Reassesses Port Deal Amid U.S.-China Tensions pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
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