US wake up call over Panama-China links

The call for consultations by the United States to its diplomatic representatives in Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, is seen  as a strong  wake-up call for Panama, about the way its developing relations with China,

Former ambassador Eloy Alfaro Alba said Panama needs to maintain a balanced management of diplomatic relationships with the two countries.

On Friday, September 7 the US  State Department called its diplomatic representatives in Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic to Washington for consultations in order to evaluate the decision of those countries to break their relations with Taiwan, in favor of a better rapport with China.

Friday’s move can be interpreted as a  signal to Panama “Because the region may be susceptible to influences from China and the eventual control by that country of the area that The United States considers its backyard. “

Alba said that having established relations with China sooner or later was going to be a topic of interest for the United States, but Panama has the right to establish diplomatic relations with whoever It wishes and he reiterated that relations with Taiwan “did not make sense”.

“China is a power in the world from the commercial point of view and one of the main users of the Panama Canal, “he told TVN Noticias.

Alfaro also mentioned that the call that has been made to diplomats to go to consultations in Washington also has something to do with the fear that through non-transparent mechanisms of corruption, China could dominate Panama to fulfill its commercial purposes.

The call may also have been influenced by rumors that the diplomatic headquarters of China,  could be on the banks of the Panama Canal.

President Trump has previously included the hand-over of the canal to Panama on his list of bad deals by previous US  administrations.