The United States has led several Central and South American countries in issuing a joint statement, accusing China of politicizing maritime trade in its port dispute with Panama, and stating that any attempt to undermine Panama’s sovereignty poses a threat to all nations.
According to AFP, the US State Department website published the joint statement on the 28th, with participating countries including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
Since CK Hutchison Holdings announced last March that it would sell its global port operations, the US-China contest over global trade strategic hubs has intensified.
The joint statement says these countries are closely monitoring China’s economic pressure on Panama and recent actions impacting ships flying the Panamanian flag.
The statement says China’s behavior “is clearly an attempt to politicize maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of Western Hemisphere countries.” Panama is an important pillar of these countries’ maritime trade systems, and therefore must be kept free from any undue external pressure.