China, in his words · Second term · № 103
Said in his inaugural address that China was operating the Panama Canal
“And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back.”
- Said
- , Inaugural address, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
- Subject
- Panama Canal
- Threat
- Military threat
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- Second term
What the record showed
Panama's government and the canal authority said China has no influence over the canal's operations; a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison had run the Balboa and Cristobal port terminals at either end of the canal since 1997. After Trump's statements, CK Hutchison negotiated a $23 billion sale of its non-Chinese port assets to a BlackRock-led consortium, which stalled after Beijing objected. Panama's Supreme Court ruled the port concession unconstitutional on January 29, 2026, and on February 23, 2026 Panama annulled the contracts and handed interim operation of the two terminals to units of Maersk and MSC. On July 8, 2026 Trump said, "China's tried to take over the Panama Canal, and that's not going to happen."
Sources
- Inaugural Address
- Hong Kong company's concession to operate Panama Canal ports is ruled unconstitutional
- Panama cancels China-linked port deal, hands canal terminals to Maersk, MSC
- Remarks During a Greeting With Secretary General Mark Rutte of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and an Exchange With Reporters in Ankara, Turkey