Donald Trump angry about “a stupid gift”. Shocking proposal

Donald Trump's words, inactive as president of the elect, about the Panama Canal caused a stir in the world. The Republican warned that the United States would take control of the canal if it considered that Panama did not comply with the 1977 Treaty.

Trump in the inaugural speech kept his speech on. “We have been treated very badly due to this stupid gift that should never have been given, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The intent of our agreement and the spirit of our treaty have been completely violated... First of all, China controls the Panama Canal, and we didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we take it back. — thunder.

The reaction of the Panamanian authorities did not take long. "On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must completely reject the words presented by president Donald Trump in his inaugural speech on Panama and its channel. I repeat what I said in my message to the Nation on December 22: The channel belongs and will proceed to be owned by Panama, and its administration will proceed to be under Panama's control due to its permanent neutrality. There is no nation in the planet that interferes with our administration," said Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino on platform X.

— I don't think Donald Trump's threats are real, it's a negotiating strategy, it's a shock strategy. Now US companies usage the channel on the same terms as everyone else. As Americans are the biggest user of this architecture, they pay the most. And I think Trump will want to change that and set fresh preferential terms for cooperation. – assessed in an interview with Onet Mateusz Piotrowski, an analyst for the United States at the Polish Institute of global Affairs.

However, the expert adds that "on the another hand, 1 cannot sit inactive and consider that nothing will happen and that Trump will not take any extremist step."

— Donald Trump's proposal is shocking to Panamanian authorities and they had to reject it at first. They must say that the channel is and will in future besides be owned by Panama. But in a small while, possibly in six months, or possibly a year, the American president will come up with more substantive arguments and Panamanian authorities think it's better to get along and make any concessions. Piotrowski emphasizes.

Chinese offensive

Panama's strategical position has caused China to conflict for years to increase its influence in this region, which for decades has been considered an area of exclusive US influence.

In 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/849. Panama broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established formal relations with China, which was a immense success for Beijing. A fewer months later, Panama became the first Latin American country to join the Chinese initiative Belt and Trail. China has promised to build a 250-kilometre high-speed railway line from the country's capital, Panama City, to the Costa Rican border, the Panama City metro line and the $1.4 billion Panama Canal bridge. Panama, under force from the States, did not agree to all these investments.

Chinese support in this region did not like the fresh US President. Donald Trump made it clear in his statements that China has an influence on the management of the Panama Canal and warned that he would "never let it fall into the incorrect hands."

“ Trump in a twisted way says it is the Chinese armed forces who control the channel. But it's not. Although it must be said that the 2 ports are under the control of Hong Kong operators. And this is where the real threat arises that Beijing can start utilizing them to oversee this movement for political purposes in order to gain better cognition of the dependence on the different supply chains, and that there may be dual-purpose infrastructure, or spy infrastructure “The expert points out in an interview with Onet.

Mauricio Valenzuela / PAP

Panama Canal

Two key ports located on both sides of the channel — Balboa port on the Pacific side and Cristóbal port on the Atlantic side — have been operated for decades by Hutchison Ports PPC, a branch of CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong based company. The largest owner of CK Hutchison is simply a household of Hong Kong billionaires.

A fresh study by Stratega Risks, which describes "The fresh York Times", stated that no direct links were found between CK Hutchison and the Communist organization of China, but the company's engagement in managing the ports of the Panama Canal raises concerns about safety due to its parent company's links with China. As a Hong Kong company, CK Hutchison falls under Chinese jurisdiction — including regulations that may require companies to assist in collecting intelligence or military operations — and cooperates with various Chinese state-related entities in business projects.

The American paper besides cites the words of Michael R. Wessel, a associate of the U.S.-Chinese safety and economical Review Commission, a government agency investigating port security, who stated that the impact on ports is crucial for a number of reasons, including political and economical influences and oversight capabilities.

— 90% of U.S. military cargo travels by commercial ships “Wessel said that port operators have insights into where Americans are expanding their military engagement. “ Port management can besides supply guidance on how the U.S. government checks cargo for safety threats,” he adds.

Difficult Beginnings

The thought of combining 2 large oceans with a man-made canal was first introduced by the Spanish explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa in the 16th century. However, it was not until the 1880s that the French, built in the success of the construction of the Suez Canal in Egypt, began to work on the project. But they encountered problems that they could not cope with. Difficult terrain, tropical diseases among employees and financial problems of the company closed the project. It is estimated that about 20,000 people lost their lives at the time.

But life hates vacuum. A fresh player has entered. In the late 19th century, the United States was determined to build a canal. Colombia, to which Panama belonged, refused to accept the terms proposed by the United States. But they found a way. In early November 1903 a revolution supported by Americans broke out in Panama. On 3 November, an independent Republic of Panama was proclaimed. American warships, present in the region, prevented Colombia from suppressing the uprising, forcing it to accept the fresh situation. The award for military support and US designation of the Republic of Panama was the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which granted the United States eternal control of the Channel Zone.

President Theodore Roosevelt made this task a precedence and in 1903, he agreed to pay the French $40 million. (now it would be about $1 billion). The US changed the first plan to build a sea level canal to a channel with a mucus system, which turned out to be a jackpot.

UPPA/Photoshot / PAP

Excavation of the Panama Canal (1904)

The Panama Canal was officially opened on 15 August 1914. For decades the canal and surrounding area (extending about 8 km on both sides) remained de facto US territory. But this could not last forever. As time passed, strong opposition to the dominant function of the United States grew in Panama. Negotiations began in the 1970s erstwhile U.S. president Jimmy Carter and Panama's leader, General Omar Torrijos, began talking about the future of the channel. As a consequence of these negotiations, on 7 September 1977, 2 key treaties were signed:

• Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal: He guaranteed channel neutrality and openness to ships of all nations. The United States has retained the right to defend the channel against any threat that could disrupt its neutral functioning.
• Treaty on the Panama Canal: He predicted the transfer of control of the Panama Canal until 31 December 1999.

The treaties were ratified by the U.S. legislature in 1978, despite considerable political opposition in the country. The channel control process lasted 22 years and ended on 31 December 1999.

JIMMY CARTER LIBRARY / AFP

U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Secretary General of the Organization of American States Alejandro Orfila and president of Panama Omar Torrijos at the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty (1977)

Architectural work

In order to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, ships must overcome the tallness difference of 26 m. Ships flow through a complex strategy of 3 mucus: Miraflores, Pedro Miguel and Gatun. The full journey through the Panama Canal takes about 8-10 hours.

Around 5% of global maritime trade passes through the Panama Canal. In the last taxation year there were 11,000 240 cruises there. This was about 20% little than in the erstwhile year. The reason for the decline was a severe drought which lowered the water level and forced channel management to importantly reduce the number of vessels passing.

One

Channel section

Each year it uses almost 13,000 to 14,000 ships. The canal operates more than 180 maritime routes, connecting 1,000,920 ports in 170 countries.

Main routes:

• East Coast USA — Asia (Radar East)
• East Coast USA — West Coast of South America
• South American Coast
• Europe — West Coast of South America
• East Coast USA — West Coast of Central America

If you consider the statistic of traffic on the Panama Canal according to the flag of the ships, the leader is Liberia (1548 transits), followed by Panama (1109 transits) and Marshall Islands (956 transits). In the top 5 there are still: Singapore (741 transits) and Hong Kong (623 transits).

"Trump wants to go back to politics a 100 years ago"

Let us return to the current situation. Matthew Piotrowski points out that akin claims regarding the Panama Canal, did not appear either during Donald Trump's first word or during Joe Biden's rule.

— This is in general a problem of fresh years or even fresh decades that the US has no thought of politics towards Latin American countries. There's a fight against migration problems or drug trafficking. But nothing else. Washington cannot specify a affirmative agenda for this region of the world, says the PISM expert.

Onetu’s talker points out that “there are voices on the margin, but more expertly, that Washington should safe its interests in Latin America, due to the fact that China and Russia are becoming increasingly bold.” “The U.S. has lost its advantage there for decades,” he adds.

— What Trump does in the context of Canada, Greenland or the Panama Canal is trying to show himself with aggressive rhetoric from the position of force and I want to go back to politics a 100 years ago, erstwhile the western hemispheric, or area of both America, was under absolute economical regulation of the United States.. And no 1 else has anything to look for,” concluded Matthew Piotrowski.

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