Panama's president announced the country's withdrawal from the One Belt, One Road initiative

Panamanian leader Jose Raul Mulino during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he refused to extend the agreement with China within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. This was reported by PBS News on February 2.

"Mulino said that Panama will not renew its agreement with China's One Belt, One Road initiative, which is about to expire," the publication said.

It is specified that the initiative has been in effect since 2017. Mulino also said he plans to explore the possibility of ending the project before the official end of its term.

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Earlier in the day, Rubio said during a meeting with Mulino that US leader Donald Trump does not intend to maintain the status quo in the Panama Canal due to China's increased influence in the region. Rubio called the corresponding state of affairs unacceptable and Washington will have to take necessary defense measures in case the situation does not change.

Bloomberg reported on January 23 that Rubio plans to visit Panama following U.S. President Donald Trump's promises to regain control of the Panama Canal.

On Jan. 20, Trump reiterated the thesis at his inauguration that the Panama Canal is "run" by China and therefore the U.S. intends to "take back" the waterway. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino again rejected the Republican's statements on the subject and emphasized the canal's belonging to his country.

Prior to that, on December 22, 2024, Trump said that the US would demand the return of control over the Panama Canal if the Central American republic did not renegotiate the terms of its use.