The head of the Pentagon promised to counter the "threat" of China in the Panama Canal

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on April 9 during a visit to Panama that the United States does not seek a military conflict with China, but will counter the threats that, according to him, China poses to American security.

"We ensure the security of the Panama Canal and counteract the harmful influence of China. The Panama Canal is a key area that should be protected by Panama, America, and not China," he said at a press conference broadcast on the Pentagon's official website.

Hegseth also noted that Chinese companies control land and critical infrastructure in strategic sectors.

"China's military forces have too large a presence in the Western Hemisphere <...> Make no mistake, Beijing invests and operates in this region for military advantage and unfair economic benefits," he said.

Hegseth noted that this is the reason why the United States and Panama recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint security activities, and immediately after the press conference they plan to conclude a joint declaration with the Minister of the Panama Canal on security and its operation.

According to him, this document will become the basis for American warships and auxiliary vessels to pass through the channel freely and as a matter of priority.

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Mexico and Canada have also been victims of Trump's repressive policies in the region

On December 22, 2024, US President Donald Trump announced that the state would demand that control of the Panama Canal be returned if the Central American republic did not reconsider its terms of use.

At the inauguration on January 20 of this year, Trump once again repeated the thesis that the Panama Canal is "controlled" by China and therefore the United States intends to "take back" the waterway. The president of Panama, in turn, again rejected the Republican's statements on this topic and emphasized that the channel belongs to his country.