Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian

In response to comments regarding Panama's announcement that it will withdraw from the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China and whether China thinks the US pressure has affected Panama's decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that China firmly opposes the US smear and sabotage of Belt and Road cooperation through the means of pressuring and coercion, and deeply regrets Panama's decision to not renew the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Lin further stated that the BRI is an economic cooperation initiative with the participation of more than 150 countries, including over 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, and its outcomes have benefited people of many countries, including Panama. 

In recent years, China and Panama's cooperation under the BRI has produced fruitful outcomes and continued to deliver tangibly for the two peoples, Lin said.

We hope that Panama will bear in mind the overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples, steer clear of external interference and make the right decision, Lin said.

Panama denied a claim made by the US State Department on Wednesday that the Central American nation had agreed to no longer charge fees for US government ships to transit the country's famous canal, CNN reported.

Commenting on the Panama Canal issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press conference on Thursday that China has made its position clear. China respects Panama's sovereignty over the canal and recognizes it as a permanently neutral international waterway, Guo said.

Global Times