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2d ago

China Protests Demolition of Chinese-Panamanian Monument in Arraiján

Local officials blame safety risks tied to an expired land concession.

This view shows the site where a Chinese monument once stood before it was demolished in Arraijan, Panama on December 28, 2025. A Chinese monument located at the entrance of the Panama Canal was demolished on December 27, 2025, night by order of a local authority, amid pressure from the US to reduce the presence of the Asian giant in the interoceanic waterway. (Photo by Daniel DE CARTERET / AFP)
A man takes a photo with his phone of a part of the site where a Chinese monument once stood before it was demolished in Arraijan, Panama on December 28, 2025. A Chinese monument located at the entrance of the Panama Canal was demolished on December 27, 2025, night by order of a local authority, amid pressure from the US to reduce the presence of the Asian giant in the interoceanic waterway.
Image
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian attends a press conference in Beijing, China April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Overview

  • Beijing said it is seriously dissatisfied and lodged a formal protest over the late-December teardown, urging Panamanian authorities to investigate.
  • The Chinese embassy stated the structure was dismantled late on December 27 without prior notice or consultation with Chinese community groups.
  • Arraiján’s municipal government justified the removal by citing safety concerns and the lapse of the site’s land concession.
  • Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino criticized the mayor’s decision and called for an immediate investigation, as local Chinese residents expressed anger.
  • The monument in Chinese-Panamanian Friendship Park honored 19th-century Chinese laborers’ contributions to the Panama Railroad and Canal, with Beijing saying the demolition harms China-Panama friendship and overseas Chinese feelings.