Marco Rubio's first overseas trip as U.S. Secretary of State will include four Central American countries, including Panama, where countering China will be a key goal, according to a State Department official. The trip follows President Donald Trump's pledge to "take back" the Panama Canal, arguing that it is under Chinese control, a notion that Panama has rejected.
"Part of this trip is about countering China," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Fox Business this week. When asked whether Rubio would impose U.S. interests over the canal, Bruce suggested that the Secretary of State would focus on "developing a relationship" rather than "bossing other nations around."
