Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:26am on 03 Feb 2025,Monday International
Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino announced the cancellation of its 2017 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal with China after US President Donald Trump threatened action over alleged violations of the 1999 Panama Canal treaty. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Panama to reduce Chinese influence or face consequences. Trump declared, “We’re gonna take it back or something very powerful is going to happen.” Panama also launched an audit of a China-linked port operator. Meanwhile, protests erupted in Panama City against US interference, with demonstrators burning banners of Trump and Rubio.
