Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has moved to calm tensions with China following concerns over inspections of Panama-flagged vessels. The situation comes after a dispute linked to port concessions in the Panama Canal.
Speaking during a visit to Balboa port, Mulino said Panama does not want conflict with China and hopes relations will return to normal. He added that vessel inspections are not unusual in global shipping and said Panama is still assessing the situation.
The comments follow stricter remarks from Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, who linked increased inspections in China to a court ruling against Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. The company lost its long-standing concession to operate key terminals at the canal.
Danish shipping giant Maersk has since taken over temporary management of the terminals. CK Hutchison has launched an international arbitration case against Panama, seeking more than 2 billion dollars in damages.
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