U.S. and Regional Partners Back Panama, Condemn Alleged Chinese Interference With Panama-Flagged Ships

Overview

• The United States and five Latin American and Caribbean governments issued a joint statement on April 28 supporting Panama’s sovereignty, according to a U.S. State Department release.
• The signatories were Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, joining Washington in a coordinated message.
• The statement criticized what it called an attempt to politicize sea commerce and to undermine the sovereignty of countries in the Western Hemisphere.
• The move responded to reports that Chinese authorities obstructed the navigation of Panama-flagged ships, and the United States views stepped-up inspections in Chinese ports as retaliation for a January Panamanian court ruling that voided a Hong Kong–linked port deal.
• Japanese outlets relayed the Washington-datelined Kyodo report on the statement, and the coverage did not include a response from Chinese authorities or note any follow-up measures.