US Southcom head meets Panama Canal administrator to discuss countering China
Igor Patrick in Washington Published: 5:40am, 21 Feb 2025
A US military commander met with Panama Canal administrators on Thursday to discuss ways to 'counter Chinese Communist Party influence'over the critical waterway, the latest visit by a high-ranking American official to the trade channel that US President Donald Trump has said should be under Washington's control. Posting photos of the meeting between Alvin Holsey, the new head of US Southern Command [Southcom], and Ricaurte Vásquez, who has served at the Panama Canal's administrator since 2019, on social media, the US embassy in Panama added that the admiral discussed ways to 'protect and secure' the area around the waterway.
Panama's president, who was warned about China's influence by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month, reacted with anger. The trip was Holsey's first to Panama since his promotion to Southcom commandership in November, after his predecessor Laura Richardson retired.
Trump sparked a furore over the canal when he claimed during his inauguration speech in January that China controls the canal, which was funded by Washington in the early 20th century and controlled by US authorities until 1999.
Rubio warned Mulino that Washington will 'take measures necessary' if Panama does not immediately take steps to rid the canal of Chinese interests, which he called a threat to the waterway and a violation of the US-Panama treaty that handed control of the channel back to the Central American country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Setting sun': Chinese media contrasts US pageantry and violence on Trump's parade day
Donald Trump's first large-scale military parade in decades has prompted Chinese commentators to compare and mock the contrast between the US president's pageantry and the nationwide unrest sparked by his immigration policies. The festivities in Washington on Saturday occurred on a day marked by protests around the nation that underscored the country's deep divisions. In China, some state media and online commentators declared Trump's 'America First' policy a failure in light of the mass demonstrations and law enforcement response, and said it reflected the United States' 'uncertain future'. 02:01 US holds first major military parade after 34 years to honour army's 250th anniversary US holds first major military parade after 34 years to honour army's 250th anniversary 'The parade reflects [Trump's] urgency to proclaim that 'America is great again' … Yet, no matter how it's staged, it only reinforces the sense that the halo of the United States is fading, and its deep-rooted institutional problems remain unresolved,' wrote the Beijing Daily, a state-affiliated publication. 'Instead, it evokes deja vu of 'the setting sun's afterglow' and 'a past that cannot be reclaimed'.' China News, another state-run outlet, added that the day symbolised how 'democracy is struggling in the mud'. 'On this day, there are celebrations and protests … In 2025, the United States is moving towards an uncertain tomorrow – amid gunfire and slogans,' it wrote. The three-hour parade in Washington, staged in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the US Army and coinciding with Trump's birthday, featured soldiers marching while wearing a selection of uniforms dating back to the Revolutionary war, as well as displays of modern hardware and weaponry used in nearly every major US conflict since World War II. Trump used the occasion to deliver a fiery speech that vowed that the US military would always protect American interests.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US holds first major military parade after 34 years to honour army's 250th anniversary
The United States held the first major military parade after 34 years to honour the 250th anniversary of the US army. The parade also fell on the same day of US President Donald Trump's birthday, as well as the national flag day. Over 6,000 soldiers marched in the parade, along with a showcase of tanks, aircrafts and military technologies. More than 2,000 'No Kings' protests were organised across the US on the same day. The 'No Kings' theme reflects outrage against the stances of the Trump administration, comparing the president's action to that of a king instead of an elected president.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Putin wishes Trump happy birthday, says Russia ready for new Ukraine talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday that Moscow was ready to hold a fresh round of peace talks with Kyiv after June 22, once the sides completed exchanging prisoners and soldiers' bodies. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, did not mention whether Ukraine would agree to the next round of talks, only saying that 'the exchanges will be completed and the parties will discuss the next step'. Putin and Trump held a call for the fifth time since the Republican took office and sought to reset relations with Moscow, in a stark pivot from the approach of his predecessor Joe Biden's administration. Trump's approach has stunned Washington's allies, raising doubts about the future of US aid to Kyiv and leaving Europe scrambling to work out how it can fill any gap in supplies if Trump decides to pull US military, financial and intelligence support. 'Both leaders expressed satisfaction with their personal relations' during the call, in which they also discussed the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the Kremlin said. It added that the presidents 'communicate in a businesslike manner and seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be'.
