US Pressuring Panama to Abandon Huawei Equipment
The Panamanian president said at a press conference, "Let them solve their problems in Washington or Beijing instead of in our backyard."
Panamanian President Múlino appealed on Thursday for the US not to drag Panama into a "geopolitical conflict" between the US and China. The US Embassy in Panama announced a plan to replace communication tower equipment produced by Huawei with "secure American technology."
The US Embassy issued a statement on Wednesday stating that under President Trump's leadership, "The US is working to counter China's influence in our hemisphere and make the Americas stronger and safer."
The Panamanian president said at a press conference, "Let them solve their problems in Washington or Beijing instead of in our backyard."
In recent months, tensions between Panama and the US have been escalating. Trump threatened to "take back" the Panama Canal and claimed that the canal was influenced by China.
Panamanian Security Minister Frank Ábrego stated that the core of this dispute is a telecommunications project that has been in preparation for nearly ten years.
In 2017, Panama installed several communication towers in the eastern Darién province using its own funds. Later, the US offered to fund the $8 million project, but requested modifications due to the equipment not meeting US military security requirements.
Source: rfi
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834809070054400/
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