US Signs Deal With Panama to Secure Canal, Deter China’s ‘Maligned Influence’

The United States is partnering with Panama as part of efforts to secure the Panama Canal and counter the Chinese Communist Party’s “maligned influence” in the region, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on April 9. “The Panama Canal is key terrain that must be secured by Panama, with America and not China,” Hegseth said at a joint press conference with Panamanian Public Security Minister Frank Abrego. U.S. and Panamanian officials signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral security matters in the region that will help expand joint training exercises between the two countries and improve overall interoperability between their military forces, Hegseth said....