panama city — A planned trip of some Panamanian lawmakers to Taiwan has sparked the latest diplomatic spat with Taiwan China As the Central American country attempts to navigate the turbulent waters between the Asian superpower and the United States.
On Wednesday, the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Relations and the US ambassador to the country criticized Chinese diplomats in Panama for asking lawmakers to cancel their trip to Taiwan, and the ministry accused the Chinese embassy of “interference” in Panamanian internal affairs.
This followed comments from Panama President Jose Raul Molino a week ago in which he said the planned Taiwan trip had not received approval from his administration and reminded lawmakers that the executive branch is responsible for Panama’s foreign policy.
China claims Taiwan, an autonomous island off its coast, as its territory and has made threats Military maneuvers in the surrounding waters In recent years.
China was too Involved in a dispute With Japan after the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi Japan said on November 7 that a Chinese naval blockade or other action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response. Her comments caught on Warning from China Against any interference in Taiwan.
In Latin America, Chinese diplomats worked to persuade governments to establish diplomatic relations with them and sever ties with Taiwan.
Panama established relations with China in 2017 after severing ties with Taiwan.
The Trump administration has used the weight of the US government to weigh on the issue this year, starting with accusations that China could influence the tanker’s strategically important operations. Panama Canal Because a Hong Kong-based conglomerate It obtained a long-term concession to operate ports on both ends of the canal. The canal administration and the Panamanian government denied that China had any influence on the canal’s operations.
On Wednesday, the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Relations said in a statement that “as a sovereign state, it does not accept restrictions or pressures that attempt to influence the legitimate decisions of its subordinates.” The statement did not mention China by name, but it came a day after one of the country’s largest newspapers, La Prensa, reported that the Chinese embassy had asked 10 lawmakers to immediately cancel the trip because it “seriously violates the one-China principle” and constitutes “interference in China’s internal affairs.”
The Chinese embassy referred a request from the Associated Press to the La Prensa report.
Molyneux lamented Panama’s involvement in tensions between the United States and China.
when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama On his first trip as America’s top diplomat in February, he made China’s influence a major issue. Molyneux said at the time that Panama would do so Not renewing its agreement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative When it expires. The initiative promotes and finances infrastructure and development projects that critics say leave poor member states burdened with debt to China.
In August, the US ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, publicly supported Panamanian lawmakers who joined the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of hundreds of lawmakers from dozens of countries who are concerned about how democracies deal with Beijing.
In September, the Trump administration said it was restricting visas for “Central American nationals who, while in Central American countries and knowingly acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, knowingly direct, authorize, finance, provide significant support to, or carry out activities that undermine the rule of law in Central America.”
Some lawmakers who planned to visit Taiwan later this week defended their decision. Some said the trip would expose them to models and experiences that could help modernize Panama, while others pointed to opportunities for investment and cooperation.
On Wednesday, Cabrera addressed the controversy, saying the Chinese embassy “should not be involved in those issues.”