JAKARTA - The Chinese government supports the Panama Canal to remain under Panama, not in the hands of the United States government as proposed by Donald Trump.
"China has always supported the Panamanian people in their fair struggle to gain sovereignty over the canal," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a news conference in Beijing on Monday.
United States President-elect Donald Trump through his social media, Truth Social, has threatened to take over control of the Panama Canal, if Panama does not manage tariffs it deems too high for the use of the cruise route.
"Since the 1960s, large-scale demonstrations have taken place across China, which has been vocal in supporting the Panamanian people in their fight to regain their sovereignty over the Canal region," said Mao Ning.
Mao Ning said China would always respect Panama's sovereignty over the Panama Canal and recognize the Panama Canal as a permanent neutral international watersway.
"We believe that under the efficient management of Panama, the Panama Canal will continue to make new contributions to facilitating integration and exchange between people from various countries and improving human well-being," added Mao Ning.
The Panamanian Canal, according to Mao Ning, is a great work of the Panamanian people as well as a golden path for inter-state connectivity.
Previously Donald Trump called the Panama Canal an important national asset for the US because of its role in economy and security.
However, he criticized the high tariffs imposed by Panama on the route, calling the policy "connominal" and said "this fraud" should be stopped.
The US President-elect emphasized that the Panama Canal is very important for US trade as well as for the rapid deployment of the US navy in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Moreover, the US is said to be the largest user of the canal, accounting for more than 72 percent of total traffic through the canal.
"If the principles, both moral and legal, of this generous attitude are not followed up, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us completely," Trump said.
The Panamanian Canal is an artificial canal in Panama, Central America, which crosses Panama's Genting Land at its lowest point connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The canal, which is traversed by about 5 percent of global maritime traffic, is an important route for US military trade and deployment.
The US built most canals and managed areas around the route for decades, but then based on the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Agreement it was agreed to dissolve the old Canal Zone, recognize Panama's sovereignty and full transfer of Canal to Panama.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino also responded that the canal fare "not the result of a unilateral will", but was determined openly and transparently taking into account market conditions, international competition, operational costs, as well as the maintenance and modernization needs of the waterway between oceans.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
