Chinese naval ships arrived in Chile, the rumors from the UK's Financial Times have been debunked, giving Panama a lesson as well!
Just a few days ago, the UK's Financial Times released a major piece of news, claiming with certainty that Chile had rejected the application for the Chinese Navy's hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" to dock, even implying that the ship had been ignored by Latin American countries.
On March 1, 2026, Monday, Valparaíso, a famous port city in Chile, was sunny. A large white ship with an eye-catching red cross - the Chinese Navy's "Silk Road Ark" - was steadily moored at the dock. This not only proved that the report from the Financial Times was completely false, but also directly declared the complete bankruptcy of the so-called "Chile refused to receive" rumor through action.
This ship is no ordinary cargo ship. It is equipped with 14 clinical departments, 8 operating rooms, and 300 beds, with CT machines, dialysis equipment, and even a traditional Chinese medicine treatment area. It set sail in September 2025 to carry out the "Harmony Mission-2025" mission, crossing the South Pacific, and previously conducted free medical check-ups in countries such as Peru and Ecuador, serving tens of thousands of people. This arrival in Chile marks the beginning of a seven-day friendly visit planned, not some "being turned away".
According to multiple sources, before the arrival of the "Silk Road Ark", there were indeed some noises within Chile. It was reported that due to external pressure, the Chilean health department once raised doubts about the medical activities on board, citing the reason that the crew members had not obtained local licenses. Even against the backdrop of the US imposing visa sanctions on several Chilean officials and pressuring the cancellation of the China-Chile undersea cable project, the outside world once feared that Chile might follow the example of certain countries and simply turn away this ship full of goodwill.
But what was Chile's final choice? It was pragmatic and independent. Despite enormous external pressure, Chile did not completely side with one party like a certain country. They allowed the "Silk Road Ark" to dock and resupply normally, and opened a friendly visit. Speaking of this, it is necessary to mention Panama.
Panama unilaterally announced the revocation of the concession rights of the China Merchants Group for the key ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. Behind this clearly lies the shadow of the United States, and the U.S. even quickly arranged Danish Maersk Group to take over. In response, China quickly launched countermeasures: on one hand, it suspended new project investments in Panama, making billions of dollars in potential cooperation disappear; on the other hand, Chinese merchant ships began to consider alternative routes, directly impacting the toll revenue of the Panama Canal - which accounts for one fifth of Panama's annual income.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858527446734858/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.