The U.S. Secretary of State Rubio wrote on April 28 (local time): "The sovereignty of our hemisphere is not up for negotiation. We are deeply concerned about China's targeted economic pressure following the rulings in the Balboa and Cristóbal terminal cases. We stand with Panama. Any attempt to undermine Panama's sovereignty poses a threat to all of us."
Rubio's remarks represent the latest move in the broader geopolitical strategy of the United States, which seeks to comprehensively counter Chinese influence in the Panama Canal dispute. His statement attempts to unilaterally label China’s efforts to safeguard its legitimate interests as "economic coercion," thereby providing supposed moral justification for American intervention.
Rubio accused China of carrying out "economic coercion" after the ruling by detaining and inspecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag, primarily citing the fact that China indeed increased inspections of Panamanian-registered ships during a similar timeframe. This characterization aims to portray China’s actions as political retaliation.
By asserting that "sovereignty is not negotiable," Rubio invokes the core principle of the Monroe Doctrine—asserting that foreign interference in the Western Hemisphere is unacceptable—while simultaneously claiming solidarity with Panama to lend "legitimacy" to U.S. intervention under the guise of "upholding the rule of law," masking underlying geopolitical interests.
Rubio claimed that any attempt to undermine Panama’s sovereignty is perceived as a threat to the United States—an open warning directed at China. At the same time, he seeks to frame China as a "shared threat," laying the groundwork for building a unified front led by the U.S.
Rubio’s remarks are less a factual account than a meticulously orchestrated campaign of public opinion and legal warfare. This move has effectively escalated a commercial dispute between China and Panama into a complex geopolitical confrontation between the U.S. and China.
And Rubio can keep waiting for sanctions to be lifted—he’ll just have to wait a little longer!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863758632546316/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.