"Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected China's threat to make the Central American country pay a heavy price after a Hong Kong company was evicted from two ports on the strategic Panama Canal amid pressure from United States President Donald Trump. Writing on social media on Wednesday, President Mulino said he strongly rejected the Chinese government's threat against his country, which followed after Panama's Supreme Court invalidated a contract that had allowed the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to operate two ports on the canal."
"Last week, Panama's Supreme Court ruled that CK Hutchison's concession was unconstitutional, a decision that the Chinese government's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) described as absurd and shameful, while also warning that the Latin American country would pay heavy prices both politically and economically. Panamanian authorities must recognise the situation and correct their course, HKMAO was quoted as saying."
Panama's president rejected China's warning that the country would pay a heavy political and economic price after the Supreme Court invalidated CK Hutchison's contract to operate two Panama Canal ports. The court found the concession unconstitutional, prompting the eviction of the Hong Kong-based company. President José Raúl Mulino asserted that Panama upholds the rule of law and that the judiciary operates independently of the executive. The Panamanian Foreign Ministry said it would issue a formal statement and take appropriate steps. China said it would defend Chinese companies' lawful rights and accused the United States of Cold War rhetoric amid a broader US-China influence struggle in Latin America.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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