Trump scores strategic win as Panama court ousts Hong Kong firm from canal ports

A Panamanian court has voided a port contract held by a Hong Kong subsidiary, prompting assurances from President José Raúl Mulino that canal traffic will not be disrupted. The court ruled Thursday that the port concession granted to Panama-ports-company" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="21470" data-entity-type="organization">Panama Ports Company — a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings — was unconstitutional. The decision was welcomed by the U.S. and criticized by Beijing, according to The Associated Press. "Beijing plays rough. Trump plays rougher," China expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital in an email. "The American president just showed the Chinese who's boss in the Western Hemisphere. MADURO MET CHINESE ENVOY HOURS BEFORE US CAPTURE FROM CARACAS AS BEIJING SLAMS OPERATION "President Trump, by extracting Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas, ended Chinese influence in Venezuela," Chang added. "With the termination of the Hutchison port concessions in Panama, countries are getting the message that Trump is determined to drive China out of the region and that they should get on board with the American president." Mulino said Friday that port operations at both ends of the canal will continue as the ruling is carried out, adding that Panama’s Maritime Authority will work with Panama-ports-company" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="21470" data-entity-type="organization">Panama Ports Company to keep the ports running , the AP reported. Once the concession is formally terminated, Mulino said, a local subsidiary of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk will temporarily operate the ports while the government opens a new bidding process for a long-term concession. TRUMP OUSTING OF MADURO DRAWS PARALLELS TO US RAID IN Panama – BUT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CONTRASTS The court decision followed an audit by Panama’s comptroller that identified irregularities in a 25-year extension of the concession granted in 2021, according to the AP. The ruling aligns with long-standing U.S. concerns over China’s presence near the Panama-canal" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8414" data-entity-type="location">Panama Canal. Limiting Beijing’s influence in the region has been a priority of the Trump administration, and Panama was the first overseas stop this year for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio , the AP reported. THE Panama-canal" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8414" data-entity-type="location">Panama Canal PROVES ONE LESSON AMERICA NEEDS NOW: NEVER QUIT "The United States is encouraged by the recent Panamanian Supreme Court’s decision to rule port concessions to China unconstitutional," Rubio posted to X on Friday. Panama-ports-company" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="21470" data-entity-type="organization">Panama Ports Company said it has not been formally notified of the ruling and argued it lacks legal basis, warning it could harm thousands of Panamanian families and undermine legal certainty. The Hong Kong government also rejected the ruling, according to the AP.