Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
Earlier this week, Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China sent a letter to Luis Roquebert, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority. The letter commended Roquebert for his efforts to reject undue influence from the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Panama Canal.
"I am writing to applaud the work you, your Ministry, and your country have undertaken to reject undue influence from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). President Mulino has demonstrated his commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Panama relationship and has taken concrete steps to reverse efforts by the PRC to expand malign influence in Panama," Moolenaar wrote.
The letter also raised concerns about CCP-directed entities potentially being involved in transactions related to port concessions managed by CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate. This involvement is seen as a direct threat to national security for both Panama and the United States.
"The inclusion of COSCO—or any other Chinese company—in port operations or control along the canal would represent an unacceptable risk to the national security of both our nations," stated Moolenaar.
"A Panama Canal free of malign CCP influence would benefit the security of Panama, the United States, and Latin America as a whole," he concluded.
Chairman Moolenaar emphasized that protecting the Panama Canal is synonymous with protecting U.S. interests.
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