Hegseth Fine-Tunes Trump’s Panama Canal Rhetoric

The United States will "take back" the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation.

After talks with Panama's government, Hegseth vowed to deepen security cooperation with Panamanian security forces and said China would not be allowed to "weaponize" the canal by using Chinese firms' commercial relationships for espionage.

"Together, we will take back the Panama Canal from China's influence," Hegseth said, speaking at a pier renovated with U.S. assistance in Panama City.

"China did not build this canal. China does not operate this canal and China will not weaponize this canal. Together with Panama in the lead, we will keep the canal secure and available for all nations."

More than 40% of U.S. container traffic, valued at roughly $270 billion a year, goes through the Panama Canal, accounting for more than two-thirds of vessels passing each day through the world's second-busiest interoceanic waterway.

Hegseth, the first U.S. defense secretary in decades to visit Panama, flew over the canal in a Black Hawk helicopter after meeting U.S. troops and Panamanian security forces. He also toured the Miraflores lock, waving to sailors passing through on a container ship.