Amid the United States pressure, Panama is the first Latin American country to leave the Beijing global infrastructure club.
China has criticized “Washington's Cold War” in Latin America after Panama left its Belt and Road (Bri) initiative.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Popular Republic of China, on Friday attacked Friday in the United States for sabotaging the global infrastructure program.
Beijing “firmly opposes the United States using pressure and coercion to stain and undermine belt and road cooperation,” said Lin Jian in a statement. “The attacks on the American side … once again expose their hegemonic nature.”
Referring to a visit this week to the region by Marco Rubio, Lin said that the comments of the United States Secretary of State “unfairly accuse China, deliberately sowing discord between China and relevant Latin American countries, interfere with the internal affairs of China and undermines China's legitimate rights and interests. “
Jian said that more than 20 Latin American nations are among the more than 150 countries that have participated in the Bri since China implemented it in 2013.
Panama in 2017 became the first in the region to officially join the mass infrastructure plan, which is a central pillar of President Xi Jinping's commitment to expand the global influence of his country.
But on Thursday, the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said that his country has formally presented a notice that he will leave the project.
The announcement followed a visit by the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who also toured the Panama Canal.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Panama of the ceded control of the strategic river route to China, despite the denials of both countries.
Mulino denied that the United States would have pressed to Panama to move to leave the Bri.
Rubio, who had threatened actions against Panama unless he has made immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the channel, praised the announcement as a “great step forward” for bilateral relations.
Beijing on Friday insisted that “support Panama's sovereignty on the channel.”
“We hope Panama will make the right decision based on the general situation of bilateral relations and the long -term interests of the two peoples, and eliminates external interference,” Jian said.
