Treaty obliges US to to defend Panama Canal, says Rubio

STATE DEPARTMENT — 

The United States has a pact work to support the Panama Canal if it comes nether attack, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday, amid disorder and what Panama has described arsenic "lies" regarding whether U.S. Navy ships tin transit the Panama Canal for free.

"I find it absurd that we would person to wage fees to transit a portion that we are obligated to support successful a clip of conflict. Those are our expectations. … They were intelligibly understood successful those conversations," Rubio said during a property league successful Santo Domingo, the superior of the Dominican Republic. He held talks with Panamanian President Jose Rauu Mulino successful Panama City connected Sunday.

Rubio was referring to a pact signed by the U.S. and Panama successful 1977.

The apical U.S. diplomat told reporters that portion helium respects Panama's democratically elected authorities and acknowledges that it has "a process of laws and procedures that it needs to follow," the pact work "would person to beryllium enforced by the equipped forces the United States, peculiarly the U.S. Navy."

The U.S. intends to prosecute an amicable resolution, Rubio said.

Mulino posted connected X that helium planned to talk with U.S. President Donald Trump connected Friday afternoon.

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said, via a societal media station connected X, that U.S. authorities vessels tin present transit the Panama Canal without incurring fees, redeeming the U.S. authorities millions of dollars annually.

But the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous bureau overseen by the Panamanian government, disputed the U.S. claim, saying that it has made nary adjustments to these fees. It besides expressed its willingness to prosecute successful dialog with applicable U.S. officials.

During his play property league connected Thursday, the Panamanian president denied his state had reached a woody allowing U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal for free, saying helium wholly rejected the State Department's statement.

Belt and Road Initiative

Meanwhile, Mulino told reporters that the Panamanian Embassy successful Beijing had provided China with the required 90-day announcement of its determination to exit the Belt and Road Initiative, besides known arsenic BRI.

He denied that the determination was made astatine Washington's request, saying that helium was taking clip to measure Panama's narration with China and determine what would champion service his country's interests.

"I don't cognize what the inducement was for the idiosyncratic who signed that statement with China," Mulino said successful Spanish, adding that helium did not deliberation the BRI had brought large benefits to his country.

Panama joined China's BRI nether erstwhile President Juan Carlos Varela. The statement was signed successful 2018, pursuing Panama's determination successful 2017 to found its diplomatic relations with China and sever ties with Taiwan.

Rubio has welcomed Panama's determination not to renew its information successful China's BRI.

China describes the BRI, which was launched successful 2013 nether President Xi Jinping, arsenic a immense infrastructure inaugural designed to link aggregate continents done onshore and maritime routes.

The United States has warned that the task is driven by China's ngo to manipulate and undermine the planetary rules-based trading strategy for its ain benefit.

In Beijing, Chinese officials dismissed what they called the U.S.'s "irresponsible remarks connected the Panama Canal issue" and accused Washington of intentionally distorting, attacking and mischaracterizing applicable cooperation.

"China firmly opposes it and made stern demarches to the U.S. side," said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry.

While successful Santo Domingo, Rubio met with Dominican President Luis Abinader and Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez.

The Dominican Republic is the last halt connected Rubio's five-nation circuit crossed Central America and the Caribbean, which focuses connected curbing amerciable immigration, combating cause trafficking and countering China's increasing power successful the Western Hemisphere.

Some accusation for this study came from The Associated Press, Agence France Presse and Reuters.