Knowing the severe ramifications likely and taking a proactive approach toward root-cause analysis, CTH attended the ASEAN summit to gauge how Asia was likely to respond to Trump term-2 and the looming possibility of a severe nationalist approach toward a renewal of USA manufacturing. The untangling of the Beijing Belt & Road initiative was a key topic of interest noted. [Watch Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Panama this weekend to express the position of President Donald Trump as it pertains to Chinese influence over the maritime transit gateway known as the Panama Canal. Following the meeting with President José Raúl Mulino, the government of Panama has announced they will no longer support China’s Belt & Road initiative.
At the conclusion of the meeting, western media report:
WASHINGTON DC – The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, declared that the country will not renew the memorandum with China concerning the “Belt and Road Initiative.” This decision was made after discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to “Kommersant,” Mulino stressed that Rubio did not threaten to use force or a takeover of the Panama Canal.
During the talks, remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump were mentioned, in which he stated that China’s presence in the region violates the 1999 agreement on the transfer of the Panama Canal.