President of Panama orders the reconstruction of the Chinese Monument and Archway at the Panama Canal
The Chinese government condemned on Monday the dismantling of the monument at the entrance of the Panama Canal, which commemorates the contribution of Chinese people to the Panama Canal, and called on the Panamanian government to "thoroughly investigate" the demolition incident.
According to AFP, in the context of strong pressure from the United States demanding a reduction of China's presence around the canal, the mayor of Alajuela City ordered the removal on Saturday of this set of commemorative structures built in 2004: an archway (a traditional Chinese gate), two lion sculptures, and a obelisk. The mayor explained that their structure was damaged and posed a "risk".
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned on Monday via the social media platform X the "unilateral demolition by local authorities of the monument commemorating the contribution of Chinese people to the Panama Canal."
The spokesperson said, "This monument witnessed and commemorated the ancient friendship between China and Panama, as well as the great contributions made by Chinese workers who crossed the ocean in the 19th century to participate in the construction of the transoceanic railway and the Panama Canal, some of whom even gave their lives," he said.
He said, "This monument witnessed and remembered the long-standing friendship between China and Panama, as well as the great contributions made by Chinese workers who crossed the ocean in the 19th century to participate in the construction of the transoceanic railway and the Panama Canal, some of whom even sacrificed their lives during the construction. It also witnessed the process of overseas Chinese integrating into the local population."
Chinese Ambassador to Panama Xu Xueyuan expressed deep sorrow over this "dark day" for the 300,000 Chinese in Panama (accounting for about 4.5 million people).
The Chinese Foreign Ministry solemnly stated: "China has already submitted a formal protest to Panama [...] and requested Panama to thoroughly investigate the matter, correct the erroneous actions of the local government, and quickly mitigate the negative impact caused."
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino commented on the issue on Sunday, calling it "an unforgivable barbaric act" and "an unforgivable irrational behavior."
He ordered "the immediate reconstruction of the monument at the original site."
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852984985656332/
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