Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the Panamanian side to conduct thorough investigation into the incident and rectify the erroneous acts of relevant local authorities at an early date, after the China-Panama Friendship Park and the monument commemorating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese people in Panama was forcibly demolished on Saturday night.

Responding to a related inquiry, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at Monday's press briefing that China is seriously dissatisfied with the forced demolition conducted by local authorities of Panama and has lodged solemn representations with the Panamanian side.

Lin noted that the friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and Panama have a long history. In the 19th century, a large number of Chinese laborers went to Panama, making important contributions to the construction of Panama's trans-isthmian railway and the excavation of the Panama Canal, and even sacrificing their lives. 

"The relevant monument stands as a testament and commemoration of the significant historical contributions made by Chinese laborers to Panama and the traditional friendship between China and Panama, as well as a recognition of the active integration of overseas Chinese into the local community," Lin said. 

"However, the act of forcible demolition is extremely egregious in nature, seriously hurting the feelings of the many overseas Chinese in Panama and running counter to the overall China-Panama friendship," Lin said. He urged the Panamanian side to conduct thorough investigation into the incident and rectify the erroneous acts of relevant local authorities at an early date.

The spokesperson said they have noted that this act has aroused widespread public anger in Panama. Panama President José Raúl Mulino has publicly condemned such an act, and the Government of Panama has ordered the immediate reconstruction of the monument on its original site. 

"China urges Panama to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, rectify the erroneous acts of the relevant local authorities as soon as possible, and promptly eliminate the pernicious impact," Lin said.

The Chinese embassy in Panama on Monday expressed extreme shock, strong indignation, and firm opposition to the demolition of the China-Panama Friendship Park and the monument without any prior notice or communication with Chinese community. 

Chinese ambassador to the country, Xu Xueyuan, said in a post that the day was "a darkened day for the 300,000 Chinese-Panamanians" and "a day of great pain for Chinese-Panamanian friendship."

Panama President Mulino on Sunday condemned the "act of irrationality" as unforgivable, and an investigation should be initiated immediately. He said there is no justification whatsoever for the barbarity committed by the mayor of Arraijan in demolishing the monument to the Chinese Community, he said in a post on X.

According to Newsroom Panama, the demolition unleashed a wave of political and diplomatic outrage that continues to grow. Government figures, former presidents, and opposition leaders all agreed in describing the act as shameful, irrational, and unforgivable. The issue also exploded on social media, with many netizens flooding the Chinese ambassador's X posts expressing their sorrow and shame for such a behavior.

Sun Yanfeng, director of Latin American research at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday that "the demolition decision, made by a local government, reflects a degree of compromise by certain local authorities under US pressure." Sun added that the choice to carry out the demolition at night during the Christmas holiday reveals a sense of unease on the part of the local authorities - an apparent attempt to avoid public scrutiny and the risk of a broader social backlash.

The expert noted that the eruption of public reaction to this incident has demonstrated that, even amid intense US pressure, Panamanian society at large maintains a strong desire to develop and uphold friendly relations with China. "It also reflects widespread public dissatisfaction with US interference in Panama's internal affairs, including pressure related to the Panama Canal and China's cultural presence in the country," Sun said.

At another level, the regrettable incident may serve as an opportunity to provide new social momentum for deeper ties and cooperation between China and Panama, the expert noted.