Panama delivered a crushing blow to China's Belt and Road initiative Thursday when prosecutors raided the offices of Panama Ports Company (PPC), a China-linked organization that had controlled two strategic ports at the Panama Canal until courts recently voided their contracts.
The dramatic raid by Panama's Prosecutor General's Office sends shockwaves through Beijing's global port empire and represents exactly the kind of pushback against Chinese influence that President Trump has been championing since day one of his second term.
China's Canal Grip Loosening
For years, the Chinese Communist Party has used state-linked companies like PPC to gain control over critical global chokepoints, including ports that handle the majority of traffic through the Panama Canal - one of the world's most vital shipping routes. This economic colonization strategy has allowed Beijing to leverage American and Western commerce for geopolitical advantage.
But Panama's aggressive action against the Chinese-controlled company shows how Trump's America First foreign policy is inspiring allies worldwide to resist Beijing's economic imperialism. The court decision to void PPC's contracts removes a key piece of China's strategic puzzle in the Western Hemisphere.
"This is what happens when countries finally wake up to China's predatory practices," said one foreign policy expert. "Panama is taking back control of its own critical infrastructure."
The timing couldn't be more significant. As President Trump works to counter Chinese influence across Latin America, Panama's bold move demonstrates that America's neighbors are choosing sovereignty over Beijing's debt-trap diplomacy.
America First Influence Spreading
This development comes as the Trump-Vance administration has made countering Chinese expansion a top priority. With Marco Rubio as Secretary of State and Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, the administration has been working to expose and counter Beijing's infrastructure schemes worldwide.
The Panama Canal raids prove that Trump's tough stance on China is paying dividends beyond American borders. When the world's strongest democracy leads with strength, allies follow suit.
How many more countries will finally stand up to China's economic colonization now that America is back?