As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino rejected President-elect Trump’s claims of Chinese interference and high fees to use the Panama Canal. The post Panama’s president rejects Trump’s claim of Chinese interference at canal appeared first on FreightWaves.

Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said China has no stake in the Panama Canal and US warships pay the same toll rates as other nations, pushing back against Donald Trump’s threats over the key waterway.

China consistently respects Panama's sovereignty over the Panama Canal while acknowledging its role as a permanently neutral international passageway, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday,

The president-elect intends to push back on Beijing’s “growth and strategic footprint” in the Western Hemisphere, said Trump’s pick for Latin America special envoy.

Democrats like Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) however questions talks of reclaiming the Panama Canal, calling it "preposterous."

China has voiced its support for Panama to retain control of the Panama Canal after Trump floated the idea of taking back control of the trade route.

Panama's president has openly dismissed a recent claim from President-elect Donald Trump that China interfered with the Panama Canal, calling the remark "nonsense." Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino denied the claim on Thursday at a news conference.

The U.S. acquired the rights to build and operate the canal in the early 20th century, but at the time, Panama was in the process of seceding from Colombia, whose senate was refusing to ratify a treaty that would allow the canal to be built, according to the State Department's Office of the Historian .

China potentially unveiled the first of what may be their sixth generation fighter jets. Also, President-elect Trump is receiving backlash from world leaders for his comments on Greenland, Panama, and Canada.

But not everyone is sure that President-elect Donald Trump’s talk of annexing Canada and Greenland and reclaiming the Panama Canal is driven by a deeper strategy.