The U.S. State Department accused China of violating Panama's sovereignty over a port dispute in the Central American nation, triggering another fierce back-and-forth on Wednesday as the Chinese government called the Trump administration hypocritical.
The most recent spat was triggered in early April when Rubio accused China of “bullying” by detaining or holding up dozens of Panama-flagged ships — though for a short period of time — after the Central American country seized control of two critical ports on the canal earlier this year from a subsidiary of a Hong Kong-based company. China denied the allegations.
