US, China trade barbs at UN over Panama Canal control; Washington warns of security threat, Beijing defends Panama's role. Photo/X.
The US and China engaged in a sharp exchange at the UN Security Council on Monday over influence in the Panama Canal, with Washington warning that Beijing’s growing role could endanger global trade and security, and Beijing accusing the US of using the issue as a pretext to seize control of the strategic waterway.
The confrontation unfolded during a Security Council session chaired by Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, who emphasized the neutrality of the canal and Panama’s full ownership of the route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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Panama currently holds the council presidency for the month, and the meeting focused on maritime security challenges.
Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza outlined threats ranging from piracy and armed robbery to transnational crime, warning that cybercriminals are weaponizing artificial intelligence to target ports with “minimal cyber security, maximum exposure.”
US President Donald Trump had already thrust Panama into the international spotlight prior to his election victory last November, suggesting that Washington should consider retaking control of the canal and accusing Panama of allowing China to gain influence over it.
The US originally built the canal in the early 1900s to facilitate military and commercial shipping between its coasts. Control was formally transferred to Panama in 1999 under a 1977 treaty signed by then-President Jimmy Carter.
China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong defended Panama’s handling of the canal, telling the council, “Panama has consistently and effectively managed the canal, making significant contributions to global shipping and trade.”
He added “China has always respected the permanent neutrality of the canal and firmly supports Panama in safeguarding its sovereignty over the canal to ensure its openness and smooth operation.”
Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea expressed alarm about what she described as China’s “outsized influence over the Panama Canal area, especially over critical infrastructure and port operations.”
Referencing China’s actions in the South China Sea, Shea said, “China’s expansive and unlawful maritime claims and aggressive actions demonstrate its threat to maritime security and commerce.”
She stressed that the U.S. rejects these claims and backs nations resisting them, warning, “China’s influence in the canal area is not just a risk to Panama and the United States, but rather a potential threat to global trade and security.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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