After Panama Port Ruling, False Claims Spread About China’s Role in the Canal

Carlos Gimenez is a Republican member of the U.S. Congress from Florida.

The Panamanian Supreme Court ruling that annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s contracts to operate a pair of ports on either side of the Panama Canal prompted loud, triumphant reaction from conservative and MAGA stakeholders, including many who took to X to incorrectly declare “China had been kicked out of the canal.”

FACT CHECK: The two CK Hutchison ports in question are not part of the Panama Canal, nor is there any Chinese presence within the canal zone itself that is operated by the Panama Canal Authority.

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by Eric Olander

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