Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's maiden voyage takes him to Latin America, where he aims to address concerns about Chinese influence and reassert US control over the Panama Canal. His first stop is Panama, where he'll meet with President José Raúl Mulino despite the president's firm stance against negotiations concerning canal ownership.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's maiden voyage takes him to an unusual destination: Latin America. It's a reflection of both Pompeo's personal interest in the region and the Trump administration's focus on reasserting US influence in the Western Hemisphere. Limiting immigration and fighting narcotics smuggling are key priorities, but another major thrust is reasserting US control over the Panama Canal .
\ Pompeo's first stop on a five-nation tour is Panama, where President José Raúl Mulino has made it clear that there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the canal. Mulino hopes the visit will focus on shared interests like migration and combating drug trafficking. However, Pompeo will make it clear that Trump's desire to regain control of the canal stems from legitimate national security concerns about growing Chinese influence in Latin America. \ Pompeo has stated that Chinese investments in ports and infrastructure at both ends of the canal raise serious concerns about Panama's vulnerability to China. He argues that if China wanted to obstruct traffic in the Panama Canal, they could, violating the 1977 treaty under which the US ceded control. While Mulino rejects any negotiation over ownership, some believe Panama might be open to a compromise involving the canal's operations. Currently, they are managed by the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports company, which recently received a controversial 25-year no-bid extension. An audit into the suitability of that extension is underway, which could lead to a rebidding process. It remains unclear whether Trump would accept the transfer of the concession to an American or European firm as meeting his demands, which appear to go beyond just operations
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