Marco Rubio opens the door for Trump’s takeover of the Panama Canal

Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio stressed that there are serious concerns over control of the Panama Canal as President-elect Trump has called on the US to take over the crucial waterway.

The Florida senator appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, where he was asked about China’s influence over the Panama Canal.

Rubio warned that it is a legitimate problem that needs to be addressed.

And while he was careful to state that he has not looked into the legal investigation regarding control of the canal, he has suggested that the agreement under which the US transferred the country to Panama may have been violated.

“I’m compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that channel was transferred have been violated,” Rubio said in response to a question from Senator John Curtis of Utah.

Rubio said Panama has not transferred sovereignty over the canal, but he expressed concerns about Chinese ports operating on either side of it.

“The reality is that today, through their companies, which we know are not independent, a foreign power possesses the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict,” Rubio said.

Rubio warned it is a “direct threat to US national interests and security.”

The US completed construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.

In 1979, a treaty signed during the Carter administration agreed that the US would transfer control of the canal, and in 1999 full control was transferred to the Panamanians.

But Trump recently demanded that the US regain control of the canal and that American ships be given preferential treatment.

Panamanian leaders have rejected his demands and have insisted that the canal alone controls the canal, not China. They have warned that giving US ships preferential treatment would lead to “chaos”.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Rubio said concerns about Chinese influence in Panama are not new and agreed with doubts over whether the canal will remain neutral as Chinese companies control port facilities at both ends of the canal.

He said the concern among military and security officials is that the ports could be used for dueling purposes to hinder trade and be weaponized against the US.

“This is a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed,” Rubio said.

Trump’s choice to head the State Department would not go so far as to say without further investigation whether China actually has control over the canal yet, but suggested that perhaps this argument could be made because the Chinese government is tightly controlling its businesses keeps under control.

During his confirmation hearing, Rubio warned that Chinese ports on either side of the Panama Canal in Central America could be problematic for the US in times of conflict.

“No one is saying the Chinese are closing the canal every day,” Rubio noted.

“What the claim is, the very legitimate concern is that if these companies control both ends of that canal in a time of conflict, and the Chinese tell them ‘shut it down and don’t let the US go through there,’ we’re going to have a big, big problem,” Rubio said.

The Florida senator said it would be an economic, national security and defense issue.

‘We cannot ignore it. It’s not a joke. It is a legitimate problem and it needs to be solved,” Rubio said.

While Rubio raised questions about the current situation regarding the important passageway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he was also quick to praise Panama’s leader.

“I want to be clear about something,” he said. “The Panamanian government, and especially its current officeholders, are very friendly toward the United States and very cooperative, and we want that to continue.”

During the hearing, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch also suggested that a legal analysis should be done of the treaty over control of the Panama Canal.