China trying to take over Panama Canal: Donald Trump says ‘not going to let that happen’

NORTH DAKOTA: US President Donald Trump said that the United States should never have handed over control of the Panama Canal, arguing that Panama increased transit fees after taking control and warning that China is seeking to gain influence over the strategic waterway.

Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora on Wednesday (local time), Trump criticised the historical decision to transfer control of the canal and vowed the US would not allow China to take over.

"The Panama Canal, so we gave it away. The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. And then they raised it again twice, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?" Trump said.

"And now China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay? And that was not part of the script because I don't really have a script because this thing doesn't work," he added.

Trump's remarks referred to the US decision to transfer control of the canal under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, a process that culminated with Panama assuming full control of the waterway in 1999. (ANI)

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