China could close the Panama Canal if a conflict occurs.

In an interview on January 30, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had no doubt that China had prepared a plan to close the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the United States.

A cruise ship travels through the Panama Canal in 2016.

According to Reuters, Secretary of State Rubio argued that a Hong Kong-based company is operating two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, in the Pacific and Atlantic, posing a risk to the U.S. because "they have to do whatever the (Chinese) government tells them to do."

"And if the Chinese government told them to close the Panama Canal in a conflict, they would have to comply. The truth is, I have no doubt that they have such a contingency plan. It's a direct threat," Rubio said.

According to Reuters, the two ports are operated by the Hong Kong public company CK Hutchinson, while private companies from the US, Singapore, and Taiwan also operate nearby ports. The Panama Canal was handed over to Panama by the US in 1999.

Panama denies Trump's claims: There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal.

US President Donald Trump accused Panama of breaking its promise by ceding control of the canal to China. He declared he would regain control of the waterway.

Panama has rejected Trump's claims. On January 30, President Jose Raul Mulino affirmed that the canal belongs to Panama and stated that he would not discuss control of the canal with Rubio when the US Secretary of State visits Panama.

Mr. Rubio is preparing to embark on a trip to Central America in a few days, his first trip as the head of U.S. diplomacy .

Mr. Rubio did not repeat President Trump's statement about reclaiming the canal but stressed that the U.S. intends to resolve the issue the president raised and cannot allow the current situation to continue. Earlier, Mr. Trump criticized Panama for unfairly treating U.S. ships by charging excessively high transit fees. "I think the canal has fallen into the hands of the Chinese," Foreign Minister Rubio said.

China has not commented on the above statement.

Also in the interview, Secretary of State Rubio affirmed that President Trump's desire to buy Greenland was not a joke. "This is not about buying land for the sake of ownership. This is in the national interest and needs to be addressed," Rubio said.

Greenland and Denmark, the country that holds sovereignty over the island, have declared that Greenland is not for sale.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngoai-truong-my-trung-quoc-co-the-dong-kenh-dao-panama-neu-co-xung-dot-185250131080915966.htm