China denies retaliating against Panama ships, accuses Washington of canal grab
Shipping containers sit ready for transport at Guangzhou port in Guangdong, China.
US authorities claim Beijing has ramped up port inspections of Panama-flagged vessels.
Photo: AP China denied on Friday that it had intensified inspections of Panama-flagged vessels in retaliation for Panama’s decision to strip a Hong Kong-based conglomerate of port concessions at both ends of the Panama Canal, accusing Washington of seeking to seize control of the strategic waterway.
During the daily press briefing at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, spokesman Lin Jian charged that the US had made “repeated wrongful allegations” about the inspections that exposed Washington’s “true intention” to take over the canal, dismissing them as groundless.
Lin’s remarks came one day after the US Federal Maritime Commission issued an alert warning that Beijing had ramped up port inspections of Panama-flagged vessels beyond historical norms.
The confrontation centres on Panama’s cancellation of a concession held by Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristobal.
Panama’s Supreme Court declared the concession unconstitutional in January, and the government took control of both terminals in late February, designating US-linked operators APM Terminals and Terminal Investment Limited as interim administrators for 18 months.
The commission warned on Thursday that the inspections appeared to follow informal directives that could amount to reprisals.
Panama-flagged ships carry a significant share of US container trade, the commission noted, raising concerns about supply chain disruptions.
The agency added that it had the authority to investigate whether regulations or practices by foreign governments created unfavourable conditions for shipping linked to the United States.
It cautioned that any foreign government action that delayed or prevented the movement of vessels trading with the US could be incompatible with its mandate and subject to formal investigation. “Any action by a foreign government that delays or prevents the movement of vessels trading with the United States may be inconsistent with our mandate,” the commission stated.
Washington welcomed Panama’s move against the Chinese-linked operator.
A senior US administration official told the South China Morning Post at the time that the action aligned with US President Donald Trump’s position that Chinese control of the canal was “
原文链接: 南华早报