Panama asks US to avoid dragging it into China conflicts
2 Min Read
Panama's President Mulino urges US neutrality as tensions rise over the Panama Canal, Huawei, and American military presence in the region.
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, signs a document next to Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino in Panama City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP)
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino urged the United States on Thursday to avoid involving the Central American nation in its geopolitical tensions with China, emphasizing the importance of maintaining neutrality and focusing on domestic priorities while navigating international relations.
The statement followed an announcement by the US Embassy in Panama City regarding a plan to swap out communication tower equipment manufactured by the Chinese firm Huawei with what they claimed was more secure US technology.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the US Embassy asserted that President Donald Trump's administration is combating what it characterized as China's harmful influence in the region.
During his weekly news conference, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino cautioned the US diplomatic mission against attempting to involve Panama in the geopolitical tensions between China and the United States.
"Let them fight their problem in Washington or Beijing, but not in Panama's backyard," Mulino said in the press conference.
Recent months have seen growing friction between Panama and the United States, particularly stemming from Donald Trump's controversial remarks about reclaiming control of the Panama Canal, which he has repeatedly claimed is falling under Chinese sway, despite Panama's insistence on maintaining its sovereign management of the vital waterway.
Panamanian Security Minister Frank Abrego said that the telecommunications project at the center of the latest spat had been in development for almost a decade.
Panama installed several communication towers in 2017 in the eastern province of Darien using its own funds. The United States later offered to fund the $8 million project but asked to modify it because the equipment did not meet its military security requirements, Abrego said.
