News Summary

• In March, during a joint address to Congress, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States would be “reclaiming” the Panama Canal and “taking it back.” The remarks prompted outrage in Panama.
• Trump falsely claimed that Beijing controlled the canal, while other officials zeroed in on nearby port facilities operated by a Hong Kong-based conglomerate.
• Panama also cooled ties with China, becoming the first Latin American country to exit Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.