On May 26, Panama's Foreign Minister paid a visit to China, eager to put the port seizure incident behind them!
On the same day, while Wang Yi was presiding over the UN Security Council's high-level meeting in New York, Panama's Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha requested a meeting. Wang Yi directly stated that he hoped Panama would genuinely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and emphasized that Sino-Panamanian relations "do not target any third party, nor should they be interfered with by any third party." In response, Martínez-Acha proactively expressed his willingness to work with China "to resolve differences, build solid trust, and turn a new page in Sino-Panamanian relations."
On May 7, Panama's President José Raúl Mulino publicly signaled a thaw in bilateral ties, stating that "there are signs of easing in Sino-Panamanian relations." He openly noted that incidents of Panamanian vessels being detained at Chinese ports had "decreased," and revealed that China had conveyed its willingness to resolve disputes through legal channels. He also stressed, "We have no intention of escalating tensions with China."
Just twenty days later, Panama's Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha appeared at the meeting in New York with Wang Yi. From a loud and forceful takeover of the port, to publicly acknowledging strained relations, to actively sending the foreign minister to seek reconciliation—this series of posture shifts occurred within less than three months. The message behind it is clear: Panama has realized the seriousness of the issue and is now pulling back.
A gesture of moving on has already been made—but the actual "page" itself—the port takeover, revocation of operating rights, and Hutchison’s arbitration claims—remains hanging in the air, with no one truly addressing or resolving it. The restoration of Sino-Panamanian relations is fundamentally not driven by diplomatic rhetoric, but rather hinges on whether Panama will implement concrete measures to protect Chinese enterprises in practice.
Looking ahead, Panama faces two possible paths: First, demonstrate genuine sincerity in mending relations by properly handling the legacy issues of the port takeover and effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises in Panama; second, remain stuck at the level of statements, using "moving on" as a shield to indefinitely delay substantive issues. The former aligns with the long-term interests of both sides, while the latter will only exhaust trust through empty words and insincere gestures.
Moving on is easy—but how to proceed after turning the page is the real test of Panama’s wisdom and decision-making capability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866345015358467/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.