Hong Kong-linked company decries search of Panama Canal port offices
Al Jazeera
The search of CK Hutchison’s subsidiary marks the latest flashpoint in the rising US-China tensions over control of Panama’s vital trade canal.
Authorities in Panama have reportedly searched and removed property from the subsidiary of a Hong Kong company that has been at the heart of recent tensions between the United States and China over the Panama Canal.
In a statement on Friday, the Panama Ports Company (PPC), part of the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, said the Panamanian government “acted in disregard for the rule of law”.
It decried what it called “the latest steps to invade and take the property of PPC” during a search on Thursday. It also accused authorities of entering a private storage site without notice and ignoring requests to safeguard sensitive corporate data.
Panama Ports Company has been under increased scrutiny following US President Donald Trump’s claims that China was asserting too much influence over the arterial trade canal, which connects the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.
Panama’s government has robustly denied Chinese control of the waterway.
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