China regrets Panama’s exit from Belt and Road Initiative, slams ‘coercive’ tactics of US

ISTANBUL

China on Friday regretted Panama’s exit from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) while slamming the US over “coercive” tactics.

Beijing “strongly opposes US' coercive pressure tactics aimed at smearing and undermining the cooperation under BRI framework and regrets Panama's decision not to renew the BRI Memorandum of Understanding,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.

The reaction from China came after the Central American nation announced its formal withdrawal from the initiative.

Lin charged the US with "interruption of the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Latin American countries" and said such moves "will win no support and is doomed to fail.”

The spokesman hoped Panama will “make the right decision free from external interference.”

China, he added, also lodged “serious protests” with Washington on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments on Beijing during his visit to Latin American countries, calling them “steeped in Cold-War mentality and ideological bias, unfounded accusations.”

Panama officially announced its withdrawal from the Chinese initiative, President Jose Raul Mulino confirmed during a weekly press conference.

Mulino said on Thursday that Panama’s ambassador to Beijing had submitted the necessary documents to China, notifying them of the decision 90 days in advance, as required by the agreement.

Rubio had stressed the need to reduce China’s influence over the Panama Canal during his visit to Panama last weekend.

However, Mulino said the US was spreading "lies and falsehoods" after the State Department claimed US government vessels would be able to pass the Panama Canal without paying.