Recently, the competition of influence between China and the United States in Panama has been intensifying. The United States is strengthening its security cooperation with Panama to counter the expansion of the Chinese Communist Party in the region.
The US Embassy in Panama announced on Wednesday (February 19) that Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), will visit Panama this week to meet with local officials, deepen bilateral cooperation, and discuss regional security challenges. This is Holsey’s first visit to the country since taking over the Southern Command in November 2024.
The US Embassy in Panama emphasized in a press release that Holsey’s visit will include meetings with Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, focusing on US-Panama security partnership, countering Chinese influence in the Panama Canal region, and addressing illegal immigration issues.
The official account of US Southern Command on social media platform X stated that the purpose of this visit is to “enhance bilateral cooperation and discuss key regional challenges, including preventing Chinese influence in the Panama Canal region.”
Panama is one of the United States’ most important strategic allies in the region and one of its closest partners. This visit comes at a time when the US government under President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about Chinese influence in the Panama Canal.
Earlier this month, after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that Panama would withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing that this decision is to uphold national sovereignty and the neutrality of the canal.
The Panama Canal is one of the busiest maritime trade routes globally and has been considered a strategic location by the United States. The US has been increasingly worried about China’s growing influence in the Panama Canal and its surrounding areas, particularly with Chinese companies deeply involved in infrastructure projects.
The US believes that China has been attempting to influence the operation of the Panama Canal through economic means and expand its strategic influence in Central and South America through infrastructure and trade agreements. The US is concerned that this could pose a threat to its national security, especially in potential conflict situations.
Additionally, the discussions during this visit are expected to cover US-Panama bilateral cooperation and how to enhance the management of illegal immigration, as Panama serves as an important immigration route to the United States.
This visit reflects the United States’ continued concern for the security of the Panama Canal and the region, and it may have an impact on China’s influence in the area.
(This article was referenced from Reuters)