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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science, University at Buffalo

Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the US

A Chinese container ship sails near the Cocoli locks on the Panama Canal. Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has in recent days repeatedly denounced what he sees as China’s outsized influence on the Panama Canal – the crucial maritime passageway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

On Dec. 25, 2024, Trump falsely claimed that Chinese soldiers were “operating” the Panama Canal, wishing them a “merry Christmas.”

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