'We will keep it secure, available for all': Pentagon chief flags 'Chinese influence' over Panama Canal

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said that the US will not allow China or any other country to threaten the operation of the Panama Canal. The Pentagon chief, who was speaking during the ribbon-cutting function of a new US-financed dock at the Vasco Nunez de Balboa Naval Base, asserted that the US and Panama will keep the waterway 'secure', which faces 'ongoing threats' from China. Following his meeting with Panama President José Raúl Mulino, Hegseth posted a photo of him with the Panamanian president on X, saying that it was an honour speaking with Mulino.

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