Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino ruled out discussing control of the Panama Canal with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he visits the Central American country.
"I cannot negotiate and much less open a process of negotiation on the Canal," Mulino said during his weekly press conference, saying the matter is "sealed."
The State Department said that countering China will be one of the key goals of Rubio's trip. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that China is "controlling" the Panama Canal and said the country will "take it back."
Trump has also accused Panama of favoring China over the U.S., falsely asserting that Chinese authorities operate the waterway. The canal is managed by an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump claimed that 64% of the signs in the canal zone were in Mandarin and that Panama was rapidly removing them in response to scrutiny. "Panama is trying at great speed to eliminate the 64% of signs written in Chinese. They are all over the zone because China controls the Panama Canal. PANAMA WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Trump wrote, attaching a photo of a Bank of China advertisement near the canal. The president did not provide a source for his assertions.
The government of Panama filed a complaint to the United Nations following Trump's threat, referring to an article of the UN Charter precluding any member from "the threat or use of force" against the territorial integrity or political independence of another.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Fox News this week that Rubio will focus on developing a relationship" rather than "bossing other nations around."
"A partnership with the United States is something they can trust—something that comes with benefits, just like any good relationship does," she added.
Republican lawmakers in the Senate have also taken steps on the matter, calling on the country's government to sever its ties with China and Chinese businesses.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), a staunch Trump supporter, introduced a resolution oner urging Panama to take action in response to what they view as China's growing influence in the region.
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