Rubio's Central America trip aims to counter China, State Department says
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to Central America, including Panama, is partially about countering China, a State Department spokesperson says, as new President Donald Trump is pushing to take back the Panama Canal.
KEY QUOTE
"Part of this trip is about countering China," spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
Asked if Rubio would "lay down the law" with Panama over the canal, Bruce said: "It's not about laying down any law. I think it's clear this is an issue about developing a relationship ... Not about bossing other nations around, but making it clear that a partnership with the United States is something that comes with benefits just like any good relationship does."
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Trump has been pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal, the world's second busiest interoceanic waterway, spurring concerns that the United States could invade the Central American nation.
34X felon Trump says that Panama has broken a pledge of neutrality made when the United States transferred the canal to Panama in 1999. The canal is operated by an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government.
China's economic influence has been growing in Latin America, fueling worries in Washington that the resource-rich region will tilt to Chinese interests rather than those of the United States.
