Donald Trump during his inauguration speech, who says he wants to resume the Panama Canal. A strategic crossing point, built by the United States before its control was returned to Panama in 1999. These 77 km which link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are at the heart of all speculation. Donald Trump assures that it is managed by Chinese soldiers and that American ships pay more for the crossing. Beijing rejects the accusations, as does the government of Panama. What is it really? RFI takes stock.
« US ships are severely overtaxed and not treated fairly and this includes the US Navy. And above all it is China which manages the canal “. Under the dome of the Capitol, during its inauguration Donald Trump renewed his release on one of his recent obsessions alongside the Greenland a you Canada : the Panama Canal.
The American president returns to the charge despite firm denials of Panamawhether through the voice of its president Jose Raul Mulino who insists that “ the canal is and will remain Panamanian “, or that of Ricaurte Vasquez Moralez, administrator of the channel cited by Associated Press, for whom there is “ no discrimination on prices “. Prices for crossings are affordable. They vary according to the weight of the cargo, the size of the vessel but not the nationality of the flag under which they fly. When the canal was handed over to Panama under Jimmy Carter, it was specified that the administration of the 77 kilometers which separate the Pacific from the Atlantic would be carried out according to the principle of permanent neutrality. There is no convincing fact to support the American accusations. Especially since if the UNITED STATES are the main beneficiaries of goods transiting the waterway, few American carriers use it. The main ocean freight companies are now Asian and European. The American President Line, the only one to be named among the main users of the canal, is in reality a subsidiary of the French company CMA-CGM. The accusations from Donald Trump, of Chinese interference, or of a supposed presence of Beijing soldiers on Panamanian soil are also unfounded.
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So what is Donald Trump playing?
Beyond the electoral interest on the domestic level, he seems to have in his sights a business of Hong-Kong, CK Hutchisonwhich operates the ports at both ends of the canal: Balboa and Cristobal. The 25-year concession was renewed in 2021 and is the subject of debate in Panama due to a supposed lack of transparency in the awarding of the contract on terms that were too favorable to the company. The Panamanian authorities therefore launched an audit to shed light on the conditions of the concession, but also to obtain figures to counter the American discourse. Behind Donald Trump's rhetoric lies the idea that in Chineany business must respond to the desires of the Communist Party and that Beijing has clearly gained influence in Panama. Two theses to which important nuances must be brought.
-In 2017, China greatly advanced its pawns in the Central American country. Panama was a historic ally of Taiwanone of the few to officially recognize the island, de facto independent, which Beijing seeks to isolate diplomatically. Former President Juan Carlos Varela switched allegiances, abandoning Taipei to recognize mainland China. The door to the country was opened with great fanfare to Xi Jinping during a visit in 2018. Chinese construction contracts quickly multiplied as Beijing sought to significantly advance the “new silk roads” in the region: TGV, port facilities, metro line, bridge. A honeymoon ended by the new Panamanian head of state in 2019: Laurentino Cortizo. He was more balanced in his relations between Beijing and Washington and most Sino-Panamanian projects were abandoned.
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