China will as always respect Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognize the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday, in response to a question about US president-elect Donald Trump's claim that there are Chinese soldiers stationed at the Panama Canal.

Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said China has no stake in the Panama Canal and US warships pay the same toll rates as other nations, pushing back against Donald Trump’s threats over the key waterway.

As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal.

Treaties ratified by the Senate in 1978 established permanent neutrality, but some Republicans regret that decision.

The president-elect intends to push back on Beijing’s “growth and strategic footprint” in the Western Hemisphere, said Trump’s pick for Latin America special envoy.

The president of Panama is pushing back on rhetoric from President-elect Donald Trump after days of social media posts threatening to take back control of the Panama Canal. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino spoke at a press conference Thursday in which he dismissed various assertions made by the president-elect about the canal,

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over control of the Panama Canal, denying that China was interfering in its operation. Mulino also rejected the possibility of reducing tolls for U.