On Sunday, United States President-elect Donald Trump said that his new administration will try and regain control of the Panama Canal.

His statements drew rebuke from Panama President Jose Raul Mulino.

What did Trump say?

Trump brought up the Panama Canal at AmericaFest, an annual event organised by conservative group Turning Point.

“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else,” he said at the Arizona event, adding that the US “foolishly gave it away”.

After Trump’s statement, he and Panamanian President Mulino traded barbs.

“Every square metre of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging [to Panama],” Mulino said in a recorded statement published on his X account.

Trump reposted a news article about Mulino’s statement on his Truth Social platform, captioning it: “We’ll see about that”.

On Saturday in a Truth Social post, Trump also hinted at China’s growing influence over the Panama Canal. “It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” he wrote. “We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!”

China does not control the canal. However, a Hong Kong-based corporation, CK Hutchison Holdings has operated two of the canal’s ports, located on the Caribbean and Pacific entrances, since 1997.

In his Sunday statement on X, Mulino also said that China does not have influence over the Panama Canal.

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