Mauricio Clever-Carone, U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America said that China's presence near the Panama Canal was a concern to Panama's national security, just days before the top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio visited the country. Rubio is scheduled to depart for his first overseas trip on Saturday. He will visit the Panama Canal and meet with Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino. This is the first time the two countries have met since Donald Trump threatened to seize control of the U.S. built canal. Claver-Carone told reporters that Rubio would also be visiting El Salvador, Costa Rica Guatemala and Dominican Republic. The Trump administration's effort to repatriate migrants and stop migration into the U.S. from these countries will be discussed. Claver-Carone stated that it wasn't Mulino who was responsible for China's presence near the canal getting "completely out of control" during previous Panamanian government. However, he added that now the Panamanian President "has to deal" with the situation.

He said: "This creeping presence of Chinese actors and companies throughout the Canal Zone is very concerning. Not only for the national safety of the United States but also for the national stability of Panama, and the Western Hemisphere as a whole." This will be a topic of discussion. Hong Kong's CK Hutchison Holdings operates the ports at the entrances of the canal for over two decades. The company is not tied financially to the Chinese government but Hong Kong companies are.

China's influence in Latin America is growing, and Washington is worried that the region's resource-rich resources will be shifted to Chinese interests instead of U.S.

Rubio, who spoke on Thursday, said he was "zero-doubt" that Beijing has contingencies to be able.

Block the canal

In the event of conflict, you should be prepared.

Mulino says he

won't discuss control

Rubio on the canal

Analysts say that Panama is awaiting results of the audit on CK Hutchinson’s payments to state. This could be a pretext for Panama to change its concession agreement with the company.

R. Evan Ellis said that despite the awkwardness of relations with Panama, the U.S. Army War College professor, believed the two sides would likely seek a quick solution.

Ellis said, "I believe it could go down fairly quickly." "At the very least, Trump wants a deal that allows him to declare victory." Panamanians want to know what they are willing to give up so that they don't violate their own management of canal. (Reporting and editing by Bill Berkrot, Paul Simao and Simon Lewis)

(source: Reuters)