The United States will not allow China to jeopardize the operations of the Panama Canal, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a visit to the Central American nation on Tuesday.
Hegseth is the second senior U.S. official to visit Panama since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January vowing to "take back" the U.S.-built canal to counter what he sees as China's disproportionate influence over the waterway.
"Today, the Panama Canal faces ongoing threats," Hegseth said in a speech at a police station located at the entry to the shipping route.
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