Overview

• Panama has announced it will not renew its Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China, which was first signed in 2017.
• The Panama Canal Authority has refuted U.S. State Department claims that U.S. government ships would no longer pay transit fees.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently visited Panama, pressuring the government over canal operations and China's influence in the region.
• President Donald Trump has criticized Panama's handling of the canal, threatening to bring it back under U.S. control and alleging unfair treatment of U.S. vessels.
• Panama maintains that the sovereignty of the canal is non-negotiable, despite U.S. demands and escalating rhetoric.