Washington, February 3. Panama’s President Raul Mulino stated on Sunday that Panama will not renew the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China. Panama had signed this agreement with China in 2017, and it now appears that it will end ahead of schedule.
Mulino has expressed a desire to work on new investments with the United States, including infrastructure projects. The U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Panama on Sunday, marking the first visit by a U.S. diplomat to Panama since the inauguration of President Trump.
Speaking to the media, Mulino described the visit as opening new doors in relations, though he reiterated that there would be no debate over the sovereignty of the Panama Canal. He mentioned that there were discussions with the U.S. about concerns over China’s involvement with the canal.
The United States has warned of taking necessary actions
Following Mulino’s statement, the U.S. State Department shared details of the discussions between the two countries, which included warnings given to Panama regarding China.
The report stated that if the operation of the Panama Canal is disrupted due to a foreign power,
