‘Completely fabricated’: China on US Panama claims

Comments made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China following a Panamanian court ruling are 'completely fabricated', China's foreign ministry said on Friday. Rubio said on Thursday that such detentions, claimed last week by the US Federal Maritime Commission, raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country. Panama's Supreme Court in late January invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession granting Hong Kong-based port operator CK Hutchison's Panama Ports Company the right to operate the Balboa and Cristobal terminals on the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the Panama Canal. The cancellation followed mounting pressure from the US to influence the running of the strategic canal, which handles about 5% of global maritime trade. "The relevant US remarks are completely fabricated and a distortion of the facts," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. “The US has repeatedly made irresponsible comments, which only serve to expose its own scheme to seize control of the canal. “The world can see clearly who it is that is blatantly resorting to unilateral bullying and coercion to undermine the neutrality of the Panama Canal and disrupt the stability of global supply chains. China's position on issues related to the relevant Panamanian ports is clear. China will firmly defend its own legitimate rights and interests." #china #panama #rubio Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0TppyxzQWm9JbMg3CP8Rg/join For more: https://www.cgtn.com/europe Social Media X: https://twitter.com/CGTNEurope Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cgtneuropeofficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgtneurope/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cgtneurope Feedly: https://feedly.com/i/subscription/feed%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.cgtn.com%2Frss%2Feurope%2Frss.xml OTT iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1466868682 Apple TV: https://www.cgtnnow.com/help/using-the-apple-tv-app/apple-tv-apps Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgtnamericanow Android TV: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgtnamericanow Roku: https://channelstore.roku.com/en-gb/details/d62729a397c999f496fb208aaf19d782/cgtn-now Fire TV: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TM1H636/ Our Shows RAZOR: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ Podcasts: https://www.cgtn.com/special/CGTN-EUROPE-PODCASTS.html #CGTN #CGTNLIVE #CHINANEWS #EuropeNews