Rubio’s first foreign trip as secretary also presents an opportunity to address the immigration crisis in ways ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris failed to do in countries that are important stopover points on the journey to the U.S. southern border.
The trip, which will reportedly take place in late January to early February, will see the newly confirmed secretary and chief foreign policy officer of the second Trump administration travel to Panama and likely other Central American countries that were the focus of Biden administration efforts to curb illegal immigration but also are ground zero of expanding Chinese influence in America’s backyard.
China threat to the Panama Canal
In recent years, China has taken an important role in Latin America, becoming the region’s top trade partner and investing directly in infrastructure and energy projects. The communist power has also expanded ties with friendly regimes that can create headaches for the United States in its own backyard, like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
China’s influence in Panama has been steadily growing since 2017, when the small Latin American country cut off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and formally recognized the Chinese government led by the Chinese Communist Party. In 2018, Panama was the first country in the region to sign up for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure investment program designed to expand China’s economic and strategic influence across the globe.
In his confirmation hearing, Rubio did not shy away from clearly defining the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the United States. One former CIA operations officer told Just the News that China’s growing role represents a national security threat that Trump is eager to mitigate.
“The issue there is that for the last few years, the Chinese government has made some effective investments with the Panamanian government has taken more and more gradual control over the canal that poses a significant national security risk the United States,” Rick de la Torre told the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show.
This includes control of port facilities on either side of the canal by China and Hong Kong-based companies. A consortium of Chinese companies was also awarded a contract in 2018 to construct a bridge over the canal. Chinese companies have also invested in energy and water management facilities in the small country.
2 comments:
Anti-Panama Canal treaty types warned of a communist takeover of the canal due to the fact these Central American countries eventually became leftist banana republics. The Chinese, very slick, how they eased themselves into control of both entry points. Two points - (1) Russia warns America about retaking control of the canal. What's in it for them? (2) Another disastrous decision like his nuclear one from the deceased malaised president.
What is in it for Russia? Being able to avoid having to go around South America. United States ownership of the canal may mean Chinese and Russian ships won’t be able to use canal.
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