'Reduce China's influence', warns US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on arrival in Panama.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met the President of Panama on Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Panama about China's influence and control over the Panama Canal. He also called this situation unacceptable. He said that if there are changes, the US will take necessary measures.
Rubio conveyed US President Donald Trump's concerns during a meeting with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martinez in Panama City on Sunday.
China's Influence on the Panama Canal Zone
"US President Donald Trump has made a preliminary determination that the current state of Chinese Communist Party influence and control over the Panama Canal Zone is a threat," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. Rubio made it clear that the current situation is unacceptable and in the absence of immediate change, the US will need to take necessary measures to protect its rights under the treaty regarding Panama's permanent neutrality and operation.
Advancing Trump's agenda
Rubio arrived in Panama on Saturday on his first trip since taking over as America's top diplomat. According to CNN's report, Rubio's choice to visit Central America - Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic - is deliberate. It is aimed at furthering Trump's agenda by paying more attention to our own neighborhood.
US to take back control of Panama Canal.
In his inaugural address on January 20, Trump claimed that China was operating the Panama Canal and that the US was going to take it back because America had been treated unfairly. "America, I mean, think about it, more money was spent on a project than ever before and 38 people lost their lives in the building," he said after being sworn in as the 47th US president at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Responding to Trump's threats, Panamanian President Mulino said the Panama Canal would continue to operate under Panama's control and no country should interfere in Panama's affairs.
Rubio's first foreign trip
This is Rubio's first foreign trip as the US Secretary of State. His visit is taking place at a time when US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on neighboring countries and allies, including demanding the return of control of the Panama Canal to the US. Just a day earlier, Trump announced imposing big tariffs on Canada and Mexico, due to which there has been talk of retaliatory action from those countries as well.
There will be no talks with America
Rubio is scheduled to visit a power plant and then the canal after talks with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino. Mulino has said there will be no negotiations with the United States over ownership of the canal. He said he hoped Rubio's trip would focus on shared interests such as combating migration and drug trafficking. Some groups in Panama have staged protests against Trump's plans.