Trump says US erred on Panama Canal, warns China influence

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States should never have given up control of the Panama Canal, criticizing the decision as financially detrimental and vowing to prevent China from expanding its influence over the strategic waterway. He made the remarks during the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.

Trump asserted that after Panama assumed control, transit fees for ships were raised significantly, generating substantial revenue without a loss in traffic. He framed the 1999 handover, which was finalized under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, as a strategic error. The former president then directly addressed China's role, stating that Beijing is trying to take over the canal and that the U.S. would not allow it to happen.

The comments reflect a long-standing position Trump has expressed regarding U.S. ownership of the canal, a vital global maritime passageway. The 51-mile canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, handling over 13,000 vessels annually and facilitating hundreds of billions of dollars in trade. It is a central hub for international commerce and crucial to U.S. supply chains, with...