China Never Intervened in Panama Canal Affairs, Says Beijing amid Trump Threats

Beijing has “not been involved in the management or operation of the Panama Canal,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in the Chinese capital, Anadolu Agency reported.

However, Mao said China “acknowledges Panama's sovereignty over the canal and regards it as a permanently neutral international waterway.”

Trump has threatened US will "retake" the Panama Canal.

Trump last month claimed that "wonderful soldiers of China" were operating the Panama Canal "lovingly but illegally."

Trump also criticized the high tariffs for Panama Canal transit and argued that the 1999 transfer of control to Panama was intended as a gesture of cooperation, not a concession.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino in response has firmly stated that the canal’s ownership is non-negotiable.

Mulino reiterated that the Panama Canal remains fully under Panamanian control and that China plays no operational role.

“There are no Chinese on the canal. As simple as that. Neither the Chinese nor any other power are in the channel,” he said, adding that any Chinese presence in the area would likely be limited to tourists or passengers aboard cruise ships.

The Panama Canal, a vital trade route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is operated exclusively by Panama.

While a Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports near the canal’s entrances, Mulino emphasized that it does not equate to Chinese influence over its operations.

“I reiterate, there is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything that has to do with the Panama Canal,” Mulino said.