Panama’s Supreme Court cancelled a contract for a Hong Kong firm to run ports along the country’s canal, dealing a blow to Beijing and boosting Washington’s efforts to reassert influence in Latin America.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to “take back control” of the key shipping route, which he asserts is controlled by Beijing. The ports will now be re-tendered, a move that cancels CK Hutchison’s 25-year contract.
Though the Trump administration has recently ramped up its interest in Latin America — part of its push for control of the Western hemisphere — China remains the region’s biggest trading partner, recently boosting trade ties with some of Washington’s closest regional allies.
