Beijing threatens ‘serious consequences’ after Panama lawmakers support Taiwan

Parliamentary exchange group set up despite pressure from China’s embassy and public disavowal by Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino3-MIN READ3-MIN0ListenPublished: 5:36am, 15 Sep 2026China has warned Panama of “serious consequences” after most of the country’s lawmakers set up a parliamentary exchange group with Taiwan, defying pressure from Beijing’s embassy and a public disavowal by their own president.The warning came from foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, who said on Monday that the group seriously violated the China-principle" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="126048" data-entity-type="event">one-China principle upheld by Panama and urged what he called “those few politicians” to “see the real picture”.Beijing had noted the Panamanian government’s statement on the matter, he said, and hoped Panama would honour its commitment “with real actions to uphold the political foundation of China-Panama-relations" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="204389" data-entity-type="topic">China-Panama relations”.Guo devoted the closing part of his answer to Washington, urging the United States to abide by the China-principle" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="126048" data-entity-type="event">one-China principle and the three joint communiques that underpin its recognition of Beijing, and to “stop disrupting and sabotaging China-Panama-relations" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="204389" data-entity-type="topic">China-Panama relations”.10:37Why the US is worried about China’s growing influence in South AmericaPanamanian deputies installed the body on September 8 at a closed-door ceremony in the National Assembly, nine years after Panama broke off relations with Taipei to recognise Beijing.Medin Jimenez, the Panamanian deputy heading the group, said 45 of the chamber’s 71 members signed the founding document and that others backed it but were unable to sign while it circulated in the plenary.New group breaks no rules, Panama lawmakers claimPanama recognised Taipei for decades before the 2017 switch, and commercial and academic ties survived the rupture, which lawmakers have used to argue that the group breaks no rules.Jimenez presented it as a commercial project, pointing to the free-trade agreement in force since January 2004, which outlived the diplomatic break, and to more than US$158 million in seafood and other Panamanian exports to Taiwan in the last financial year.