Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland and regaining control of the Panama Canal is motivated by legitimate national security concerns, particularly in response to increasing Chinese activity and influence in the Arctic and Latin America.
Also Read: Greenlanders reject Donald Trump, 85% do not want to be part of US, reveals new poll
As reported by the Associated Press, ahead of his trip to Central America, which will begin in Panama this weekend, Rubio said Thursday that while he could not predict whether Trump would succeed in purchasing Greenland from Denmark or reclaiming control over the Panama Canal during his time in office, the attention Trump would give to both issues would have an impact.
“What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure; our interest in the Panama Canal will be more secure,” Rubio said in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly.
Rubio’s official trip to Panama, says Chinese investments are “all over Panama”
Rubio will arrive in Panama on Saturday for his first official foreign trip as America’s top diplomat, underscoring the importance he and Trump place on securing control of the canal. While immigration will be a major topic of discussion during his visit to Panama and other stops, Rubio emphasized that the canal issue remains a priority.
As reported by AP, “Chinese investments in ports and other infrastructure and facilities at both the Pacific and Caribbean ends of the canal are a cause for major concern, leaving Panama and the critical shipping route vulnerable to China,” he said.
Also Read: Donald Trump’s Greenland dream: How much would it really cost?
“They’re all over Panama,” Rubio said of Chinese companies that many experts believe are beholden to the government in Beijing and would carry out orders to cut off or limit traffic to the canal in the event of a conflict with Taiwan or an unrelated breakdown in relations with the US.
“If the government in China in a conflict tells them to shut down the Panama Canal, they will have to,” he said. “I have zero doubt that they have contingency planning to do so that is a direct threat.”
Rubio added that “if China wanted to obstruct traffic in the Panama Canal, they could” and that would be a violation of the 1977 treaty signed by former President Jimmy Carter under which the US ceded control of the American-built canal to Panama in 1999.
He also echoed Trump’s complaint that American ships are being overcharged for using the canal, which would also be a violation of the treaty.
“We should not be in a position of having to pay more than other countries. In fact, we should be getting a discount or maybe for free, because we paid for the thing,” he said.
Also Read: Donald Trump tussles with Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen over Greenland: ‘It was horrible…’
Earlier Thursday, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal and that he hoped Rubio’s visit would instead focus on shared interests like migration and combating drug trafficking.
“It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate,” Mulino said when asked about returning the canal to US control. “That is done. The canal belongs to Panama.”
But Rubio said it would be discussed.
“We’re going to address that topic,” he said. “The president’s been pretty clear he wants to administer the canal again. Obviously, the Panamanians are not big fans of that idea. That message has been brought very clear.”
On Greenland, he said Denmark, of which Greenland is a part, did not have the capability to defend Greenland from China as it seeks to gain a presence in the Arctic to exploit shipping routes.
Also Read: US to take over Greenland? Donald Trump dials Danish PM to reiterate interest in acquisition
And since Greenland is already covered by the NATO mutual defense pact due to its relationship with Denmark, it made sense for the US to have a greater presence and authority there.
We might as well have more control over what happens [in Greenland].
“If we’re already on the hook for having to do that, we might as well have more control over what happens there. I know it’s a delicate topic for Denmark, but it’s again a national interest item for the United States,” Rubio said.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
MoreLess