panama withdraws from china bri project amid us president donald trump pressure

US-Panama on China’s BRI Project : Panama has succumbed to the threat of US President Donald Trump. After Trump’s frequent threats to capture the Panama Canal, Panama has decided to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said that his country would not renew it at the end of his agreement with China’s BRI project. After this announcement, Panama has become the first Latin American country to withdraw from China’s BRI project.

Announcement after meeting with US Secretary of State

President Jose Raul Mulino made this announcement after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (2 February). The President of Panama also said that he would investigate whether he can end this project agreement with China first.

Explain that China funds infrastructure and development projects in the local area under its BRI project. However, critics say that this makes poor member countries submerge in the heavy debt of China, an example of which is Sri Lanka, the neighboring country of India.

In 2017 BRI Panama was associated with

According to the report by Reuters, President Jose Raul Mulino said, “A comprehensive agreement between China and Panama during the last administration of the country will not be renewed.” He said, “The agreement is to be renewed in the next one or two years and their government will earlier evaluate the possibility of ending the project agreement. Panama’s previous government decided to participate in this initiative of China in 2017. “

America threatened with Panama Canal

In a meeting held on Sunday with Panama President Jose Raul Mulino, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Central American ally should immediately reduce China’s influence on the Panama Canal region, otherwise the US administration may take action. Mulino told reporters after a meeting with the US Secretary of State, “Rubies have not given any real threats to re -occupy the Panama Canal or use any kind of power.”

I met with Panamanian President @JJOJAULULULININ and Foreign Minister @javierachapma to make clear that the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue with its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area. We also discussed… pic.twitter.com/Hj0pXGahqk

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 2, 2025

Donald Trump has demanded to capture Panama Canal

US President Donald Trump has demanded that the control of the canal should be handed over to the US. Rubio told Mulino on behalf of Trump that the US President had already said that the presence of China in the Panama Canal region violates the treaty under which the US had handed over the waterway to Panama in 1999. At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the canal on Sunday (2 February).

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