Pressures on Panama to cool relations with China not effective – Ambassador

Pressures  on Panama by  a “great power”  to cool relations with China are not working   said China’s  ambassador to Panama, Wei Qiang, on Tuesday, September 10

“I feel that there are (pressures), but both China and Panama are sovereign, independent countries, we are mature nations, capable of making our own diplomatic decisions,” Wei told local media.

Although the diplomat did not expressly mention that the “pressures” come from the United States, he did say that the recent statements against China of a White House adviser during a recent  visit to Panama were “degrading and unfounded.”

“One turns on the television and important gentlemen of some great world power appear … I do not understand why being such a powerful country they speak against bilateral relations between two independent, sovereign countries,” said Wei.

“They are relationships that are not doing or have the least interest in harming third parties,” he added.

The director of the US National Council For the Western Hemisphere, Mauricio Claver-Carone, met last August with Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo , and during an interview with TVN News said that “Chinese investments are a lot of foam and little chocolate” and that the Asian giant just wants to “use” Panama because of its geographical position.

It is not the first time that a senior US official attacks the growing presence of China in Panama reports TVN  Already in October of last year the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, asked Panama to “keep eyes open ” with China.

Panama, a historical ally of the United States, in June 2017, became the second Central American country after Costa Rica (2007), to establish diplomatic relations with China.

China already had an important presence in Panama before the establishment of relations, as it is the leading t provider of the Colon Free Zone (the largest in the continent) and the third user, behind the United States and Japan, of the interoceanic canal, through which  passes 6% of world trade.

However, since the new relationships, Chinese companies have won billionaire contracts, such as a cruise terminal and the fourth bridge over the canal.

The previous government began negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with China, but it did not conclude and left the task to the Cortizo Administration, which took office last July and has not yet said  when they will resume conversations

The ambassador denied that the relationship with this government is more distant than with the previous one and assured that “we are working normally to consider the next steps to take” in the FTA negotiations.