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A side view of the defense secretary speaking from podium. "The era of capitulating to coercion by the communist Chinese is over," Hegseth said while delivering prepared remarks earlier in the day.

"[China's] growing and adversarial control of strategic land and critical infrastructure in this hemisphere cannot and will not stand," he added.

Hegseth, who has been in Panama City for a three-day security conference with the host nation, later made the expanded partnership announcement during a joint press conference with Panamanian Public Security Minister Frank Abrego.

"The Panama Canal is key terrain that must be secured by Panama, with America, and not China," Hegseth said.

He added that, just prior to the news conference, the U.S. and Panama signed a memorandum of understanding related to cooperative security activities in the region and that the signing of an additional declaration related to the security and operation of the Panama Canal would be forthcoming.

That declaration, Hegseth said, would provide a framework for U.S. warships and auxiliary ships to travel "first and free" through the canal.

"These documents reaffirm [the U.S. and Panama's] historic ties and outline how we will deepen our relationship and strengthen bilateral canal security cooperation," Hegseth said.

He added that the signed MOU would pave the way for an increased level of joint training exercises between the two countries and improve overall interoperability between both nations' military forces by reestablishing a rotational joint presence at a handful of previously operational U.S. military installations.

Those installations include Rodman Naval Station and Howard Air Force Base, as well as Fort Sherman, where plans are underway to revive the jungle operations center so that U.S. and Panamanian troops can train side by side.

Hegseth said the expanded security relationship between the two countries would also include information sharing, enhanced cyber cooperation, bilateral security dialogues and canal infrastructure improvements.

"Our countries reaffirmed our shared commitment to protecting Panamanian sovereignty from maligned influence, and we recognize the foundational importance of our constitutional governments — including respect for our neutrality treaty," Hegseth said.

Signed Sept. 7, 1977, the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal stipulated that the U.S. would relinquish control of the canal by the year 2000 while also ensuring open and secure waterway access to all nations.

When asked whether the U.S. still recognizes Panama's sovereignty over the canal, Hegseth said that protecting Panamanian sovereignty from maligned influences in the region is essential.

"When President [Donald J.] Trump says, 'We're taking back the Panama Canal from Chinese influence,' that involves partnership with the United States," Hegseth said, adding that the U.S. is grateful that Panama has welcomed American troops onto Panamanian soil through the joint rotational exercise invitation.

"And that's what you'll see in the memorandum of understanding: it's an opportunity to revive … locations where U.S. troops can work with Panamanian troops to enhance capabilities and cooperate in a rotational way," he said.

Presently, there are two U.S. Navy guided-missile cruisers, one U.S. Coast Guard cutter, four F-18 fighter jets, and over 1,000 U.S. service members — including a U.S. Marine Corps infantry company — training and exercising with the Panamanians, Hegseth said.

He added that the U.S. Navy would send the hospital ship USNS Comfort to Panama this summer to provide medical care and deepen bilateral relationships between the two countries.

In addition to partnering to secure the Panama Canal, Hegseth said the two countries are also working in tandem to counter violent cartels and criminal enterprises throughout the Americas, as well as securing their respective countries' borders.

As an example of the latter, Hegseth credited Panama with reducing illegal border crossings at the Darién Gap — a 60-mile land bridge connecting Central and South America — by 99% in the past year.

Calling the expanded partnership with Panama "a golden age of clear-eyed Americanism," Hegseth said that the U.S. and its partner nations throughout Central and South America seek a hemisphere that is secure and prosperous for its sovereign nations.

"We want this to be a golden age for our countries, together, and for this hemisphere," Hegseth said. "We want — in short — not only to make America great again, but to make the Americas great again."