Panama and US lock in new security pact for Canal as China tensions simmer

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the US and Panama have made moves to strengthen ties and remove ‘China’s influence’ from canal.
The United States and Panama have officially signed a new defense and security pact aimed at reinforcing control over the Panama Canal, a move that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claims is critical to pushing back against China’s growing grip in the region.
In a press release posted Wednesday night on X, the Panama Canal Authority confirmed that Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs and Hegseth signed a joint declaration that reaffirms Panamanian sovereignty and outlines new military cooperation.
The deal “reaffirms respect for, and the recognition of, Panamanian sovereignty over the interoceanic waterway,” the Canal Authority stated. 

It also upholds both nations’ commitment to the Neutrality Treaty and the legal framework that governs canal operations, including Panama’s Constitution, the treaty itself, and the Canal’s Organic Law.