Chinese Ambassador to Panama Xu Xueyuan published an article in Spanish titled "US, please learn to respect" in Panama's newspaper La Estrella de Panamá. Photo: Wechat account of the Embassy of China in the Republic of Panama.
Chinese Ambassador to Panama Xu Xueyuan published an article in Spanish titled "US, please learn to respect" in Panama's newspaper La Estrella de Panamá on Monday local time. The article outlined China's relationship with Panama, emphasizing equality, respect, and mutual benefit. The article also reaffirmed China's commitment to respecting the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal, according to the Embassy of China in the Republic of Panama.
Xu's article came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama in his first trip abroad since taking office. Rubio aimed to exert pressure on the country concerning its relations with China.
Xu wrote that while chanting "Make America Great Again," the US delegation's visit to Panama caused a stir greater than a tropical storm.
Panama is undoubtedly very important to the US, as evidenced by US' 85-year control of the canal zone and ongoing efforts to reassert influence. The US also wouldn't have invaded with 27,000 soldiers in 1989 and might do so again in the future. Of course, the US also has trade investments and expatriates in Panama, according to the article.
"Panama is so important to the US that it cannot tolerate Panama cooperating with China. The US established diplomatic relations with China in 1979, so why does Panama's decision to do the same 38 years later make the US furious? The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama was transparent, free of backroom deals or financial incentives. The US-China trade volume is as high as $688.28 billion, and more than 70,000 US businesses have investments in China. Why does the US view Chinese enterprises operating in Panama as a threat?"
China and Panama share both a longstanding historical connection and a newly formalized friendship. Over 170 years ago, Chinese people came to Panama to participate in the construction of the transoceanic railway, and their remains were buried beneath the ties. For more than 170 years, China and Panama have maintained economic, trade, and cultural exchanges, Xu wrote.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has fostered a relationship based on equality, respect, and mutual benefit, creating new development opportunities for Panama. This includes working together within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to jointly discuss, build, and share, doing more business, building more roads and bridges, and better benefiting the people, wrote Xu.
"The only time the canal was blocked in history was not by a foreign adversary, but by the US itself."
The canal is a vital waterway ensuring the smooth flow of global trade. Only the US poses a threat to the canal, and this isn't just a threat to Panama, but to the entire world, she wrote.
Respecting the permanent neutrality of the canal remains a cornerstone of China's foreign policy. China has not yet joined the Torrijos-Carter Treaties because Taiwan is still a signatory. This is a historical error. Taiwan is a province of China, as recognized by the United Nations. The protocol itself stipulates that only sovereign states can participate in the agreement. As long as the international community removes Taiwan, China's accession will not be an issue. Those who do not want China to join are not China itself, but the US, because they will not allow this mistake to be corrected, Xu wrote.
In the international community, all countries are equal and have the right to independently develop diplomatic relations. No one has the right to dictate to others or issue commands. If the US wants to create the golden age of the Americas, it must first respect other countries and listen to Latin American nations about their vision for the future, Xu wrote.
On January 22, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China agrees with Panama's President José Raúl Mulino that Panama's sovereignty and independence are not negotiable, and the Panama Canal is not under direct or indirect control by any power. China does not take part in managing or operating the Canal. Never ever has China interfered. We respect Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognize it as a permanently neutral international waterway.