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INCOMING FOREIGN AFFAIRS chief of the United States Marco Rubio has said that China’s alleged involvement at the Panama Canal is a “very legitimate” security issue that he will seek to review in his new role.
Rubio, a incumbent Senator for the state of Florida, appeared before members of the lower parlour of the US government, the House of Representatives, in Washington DC today ahead of his appointment as Secretary of State.
US President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn into office on 20 January, threatened last month to seize back control of the US-built Panama Canal over concerns relating to China’s influence in the area since region was given back to Panama in 1977.
The agreement does not permit Panama to hand over the port’s control to another nation. A number of Chinese-backed construction firms have recently completed projects in the area – sparking concern over Beijing’s involvement at the shipping port.
During the hours-long grilling of Rubio today, the Florida representative was asked about what he would do in his new role to address ongoing concerns that the incoming Trump administration has about the Panama Canal.
He committed to conducting a review of the 1977 agreement, and subsequent deals, in order to determine if the development of Chinese, or foreign, infrastructure in the area was prohibited under the deal.
He claimed that the companies who developed the projects are linked to the Chinese government. He said, for that reason, concerns about the canal’s security are entirely legitimate.
Rubio also defended the, seemingly, sudden interest the Trump administration has taken in the Panama Canal, which caused a diplomatic row with the Panamanian president last month, and claimed it was not a new issue.
He said that he had visited and discussed similar developments in the region in 2016 – when Trump was last in the White House – and quoted reports from US diplomats that cited concerns over the infrastructure built in the region by China.
“This thing with Panama and the canal is not new,” he said. “I visited there in 2016 and I’ve consistently seen people express concern about it.”
Two reports – one by a former US ambassador to Panama, who served under President Obama, and another the former head of US Military’s Southern Command General Laura Richardson – have cited concerns with the infrastructure, he said.
Rubio offered to lodge the reports with the hearing committee, which include eye-witness statements that claim the infrastructure along the canal looks like port equipment that could quickly be changed into military defensive systems.
He said be believes the terms of the agreement have been violated due to the alleged links that the Chinese government has to the companies who constructed the developments near the canal.
“The concerns about Panama have been expressed by those on both sides of the aisle for at least the entire time that I’ve been in the United States’ senate – and they’ve only accelerated further. It is a very legitimate issue,” he said.
Rubio added that the reports are evidence that the infrastructure is a “direct threat” to the United States and that China could make the canal – a major shipping route – a “chokepoint at a moment’s notice” in times of conflict.
“Panama is a great partner on a lot of other issues. I hope we can resolve these issues on the canal but also work with them cooperatively on the host of issues we have in common, including what to do on migration,” he said.
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I hope the Dog is ok???.
I presume he was given a Tetanus shot after biting them $cum….
That’s what these dogs are trained to do in unruly situations. Protecting their handlers is a natural instinct and to do the job that they are trained to do.
I hope that the dog isn’t punished and put down or carted off to some unknown place and used as a ‘guard dog’ to patrol some dump!
‘ Atta Boy….good doggie. LOL .
Ruff day at the office
Bite first…. Ask questions later….!
Imagine what the poor staff are subjected to on occasions like that reported. Maybe they should all be issued with a police dog?
People in the south don’t know how lucky they are not having to deal with thousands of these marches every year. Fascist nutjobs and their pisshead hangers on cause chaos everywhere they go and everyone has to put up with it because it’s supposed to be traditional. These people are less than 10% of the population but they hold everyone else hostage. Total joke!
Flegs and marches and buckfast and drugs. Sure it’s their TRADITION!!!
‘Dog bites man’, not a story. ‘Man bites dog’, now that would be a story…
“Man bites dog” is a film…… dark dark film
Incidentally the media are not mentioning that yesterday was the ‘start’ of the marching season, so thousands of drunken loyalists were probably roaming the streets. And I love when they say the start of the season as if we ever get even a month’s break from the drivel.
Is the incident out on video yet ? Its always so disappointing when you see police dogs in action on TV and they aren’t allowed to bite the bum off a crim.
A snap decision, I presume!
The only real question is were those bitten taking part in the disorder or just caught up at the start and hadn’t time or opportunity to get away. If first then good, it’s not a news item. If the latter then possibly questions should be asked ref the control the handler had on his/her dog.
Be very surprised if they were innocent as generally muzzles don’t come off until its clear that innocents are cleat and dogs are kept close to the handler and a distance away.
II hope they sue the police for damages.
have your say