Feb. 2 (UPI) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and toured the Panama Canal, which President Donald Trump wants to control. Trump has argued repeatedly that China has too much control of the critical canal, and that the United States needs to be fully in charge of the vital transportation waterway for economic security. Mulino has refuted those claims.
This is Rubio’s first international trip as secretary of state and will include stops in other Latin American countries, as well.
Mulino said Sunday that his country would not renew an agreement to be part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and said Panama would seek to work with the U.S. on new investments instead, including infrastructure projects.
Mulino repeated on Sunday that his country’s sovereignty over the Panama Canal was not up for debate, and said he addressed the China concerns in his meeting with Rubio.