New York [US], January 31: In an interview on January 30, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had no doubt that China had prepared a plan to close the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the US.
According to Reuters, Secretary of State Rubio said that a Hong Kong company operating two ports at the two entrances of the Panama Canal in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans poses a risk to the US because "they have to do whatever the government ( China ) asks".
"And if the Chinese government told them to close the Panama Canal in a conflict, they would have to do it. The truth is, I have no doubt that they have such a contingency plan. That is a direct threat," Mr. Rubio said.
According to Reuters, the two ports are operated by Hong Kong-listed CK Hutchinson, while private companies from the United States, Singapore and Taiwan also operate nearby ports. The Panama Canal was handed over to Panama by the United States in 1999.
US President Donald Trump has accused Panama of breaking its promise by ceding the canal to China. He has vowed to regain control of the canal.
Panama has rejected Trump's claim. On January 30, President Jose Raul Mulino asserted that the canal belongs to Panama and said he would not discuss control of the canal with Rubio when the US secretary of state visits Panama.
Mr. Rubio is preparing to travel to Central America in a few days, his first trip as the head of the US diplomatic service.
Mr. Rubio did not repeat President Trump's statement about reclaiming the canal, but emphasized that the US intends to solve the problem that the president has raised and cannot allow the current situation to continue. Previously, Mr. Trump criticized Panama for unfairly treating American ships by charging too high a fee to pass through. "I think the canal is in the hands of the Chinese," Secretary of State Rubio said.
China has not commented on the statement.
Also in the interview, Secretary of State Rubio affirmed that President Trump's desire to buy Greenland is not a joke. "This is not about buying land for the sake of owning land. This is in the national interest and needs to be resolved," Mr. Rubio said.
Greenland and Denmark, which holds sovereignty over the island, have said Greenland is not for sale.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
