DONALD Trump has requested his military draw up plans to reclaim the Panama Canal, two officials have claimed.
The demands made by The White House come as Trump says he wants to crackdown China’s ever-growing presence in the region.
During his recent speech to congress, the President announced plans to reclaim the Panama Canal in order to strengthen national security.
According to two US officials who spoke to NBC News, the administration is moving forward with this initiative even though there is uncertainty surrounding the specifics of what “reclaiming” will entail.
Ahead of his inauguration in late January, Trump refused to rule out using force at the canal that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.
Both US officials have now said that US Southern Command is working on the plans to achieve Trump’s goal.
The various strategies are said to vary from partnering with the Panamanian military to US troops taking it by force.
Officials said this latter option is a less likely route that will be taken.
US military force will depend on the cooperation of the Panamanian military with America, they added.
These officials, who are knowledgeable about the administration’s intentions, revealed that the President’s primary goal is to increase US influence in the area, particularly in response to China’s growing interests in the region.
Concerns are especially around Chinese access to the canal, they said, after Trump claimed Chinese-supported ports bookend the 50-mile canal.
He said this is a security threat due to the increased potential that China could seize control the vital strait in a bid to strong-arm the US.
But both Panama and China have denied that there is foreign interference in the neutral canal that has its neutrality enshrined in a US-Panama treaty.
China has accused the US of pressuring Panamanian officials into blocking Chinese aid projects after Panama did not renew a major infrastructure agreement with the nation.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said last month that China “firmly opposes the U.S. smearing and undermining the Belt and Road cooperation through means of pressure and coercion.”
He added: “China supports Panama’s sovereignty over the canal and is committed to maintaining its status as a permanently neutral international waterway.
What are Trump’s territorial ambitions?
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to “take back” the Panama Canal after claiming China is gaining control of the vital passageway.
The President has claimed China could threaten US interests by taking control of the neutral waterway.
He has also accused the Panamanian government of charging excessive tolls for US ships passing through the canal that he has said is “very unfair”
But his key goal is to diminish China’s presence and influence in the 50-mile canal.
“My administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it,” Trump told the U.S. Congress on March 5.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth is set to look at proposals by the military on how America can “reclaim” the canal as he prepares for a visit to Panama in April.
“China has never been involved in the management or operation of the canal, nor has it interfered in its affairs.”
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has echoed these comments, telling the US that his government alone dictates the canal.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to be briefed on the Panama strategy proposals this week ahead of a visit to Panama next month, the officials said.
They added that a forceful US invasion of the canal is hugely unlikely and would only come about if having a larger US military presence in the region does not accomplish Trump’s goal.
Strategies that may be on the table include making sure US ships can safely travel through the canal or restoring full US ownership and operation of the passageway.
US forces may also be used to secure ports, build new ports along the canal or take over operations of the locks along the passageway.
There are currently around 200 US troops, including special forces, in the region, but as China and America become even more embedded in a trade war, Trump want’s to be ready in case the canal is used against him.
Last year, Gen. Laura Richardson, then the commander of United States Southern Command, warned that the Chinese development projects in the area are “dual-use sites and facilities”.
This means that they can quickly re-navigated to use for military purposes.
She said: “The PRC [People’s Republic of China] messages its investments as peaceful, but in fact, many serve as points of future multi-domain access for the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] and strategic naval chokepoints.
“In Panama, PRC-controlled State-Owned Enterprises, SOEs, continue to bid on projects related to the Panama Canal — a global strategic chokepoint.”
In a bid to reduce China’s presence in the Canal, Trump said last week that a major US firm has already annouced it is buying ports around the Panama Canal.
“My administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it,” he said.
“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back.”
But, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said in a social media post that “the Panama Canal is not in the process of being reclaimed.”
The canal which is used by around 15,000 ships every year, was built mainly with money from the US and completed in 1914.
President Jimmy Carter handed the strait over to Panama in a 1999 treaty which was updated by the Senate in 1978 to state that the US will always have the right to defend the waterway from threats to is neutrality.
History of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is one of the most significant engineering feats in history, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama, boosting Panama’s strategic importance.
After an unsuccessful French attempt in the 1880s, the United States supported Panama’s independence from Colombia in 1903.
Shortly after, Panama signed a treaty granting the US control over the Panama Canal Zone, and canal construction was completed in 1914.
It became a vital passage for global trade, reducing the need for ships to navigate around South America via Cape Horn.
But while the canal brought economic benefits, US control over the zone caused resentment among Panamanians and was a source of political tension for much of the 20th century.
In 1977, the Torrijos-Carter Treaties were signed, agreeing to transfer control of the canal to Panama. This transition was completed on 31 December 1999, under Jimmy Carter.
Today, the Panama Canal remains an essential artery for international maritime trade, with expansions such as the 2016 addition of larger locks to accommodate modern vessels.
