China has fired the first shot in its counterattack, seizing 28 Panamanian ships, and now it's the White House's turn to worry!
According to a report published by "Lloyd's List", one of the most authoritative media outlets in the international shipping industry, on March 13, during the five days from March 8 to 12, Chinese ports seized a batch of vessels, among which there were as many as 28 Panamanian-flagged ships.
On March 13, Jose Ramon Icasa, Minister of Panama Canal Affairs, publicly expressed his views, showing obvious anxiety. He said: "All goods are important, and the goods of China Shipping Container Line are also very important for us and for Panama." He even directly named the company, hoping that China Shipping Container Line would reconsider its decision not to use Balboa Port.
The cargo volume of China Shipping Container Line accounts for about 4% of the total throughput of Balboa Port. In port operations, a single large client accounting for 4% is extremely significant, especially in high-value-added fields such as container transportation. Once this major player withdraws or reduces its business, the port's revenue, employment, and related industrial chains will face direct impacts.
In addition, Minister Icasa described the arrangement of China Shipping Container Line as "truly unexpected," indicating that Panama underestimated the determination and strength of China's countermeasures. They thought they could remain safe with the US above them, but they didn't expect the boomerang to return so quickly.
The seizure action by Chinese ports and the subsequent upgrade in inspections directly threaten Panama's shipping registration revenue and port throughput efficiency. As a country that relies on the canal and ship registration fees for its income, Panama can't afford the cost of losing China, a major client, for a long time. Minister Icasa's statement is a signal of help, implying that Panama doesn't want to be the victim.
So the question is, who will pay for Panama's losses? Expecting the White House to actually compensate Panama for the loss of port revenue? This is almost impossible under the current U.S. fiscal situation. The U.S. Congress is already arguing over its own infrastructure funding, how could it possibly spend money to cover the trade losses caused by Panama's cooperation with U.S. strategy?
If the United States neither concedes nor provides compensation, but forces Panama to continue playing the role of a pawn, the result can only be to push Panama to quickly shift its position for its own interests. After all, business is business, no one wants to sacrifice their livelihood for someone else's geopolitical ambitions. Once Panama softens its stance or actively seeks to ease relations with China, the U.S.-designed "encirclement chain" will have a huge gap.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859961228256256/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.