HK Protests After 2 Key Ports on Panama Canal are Seized

Hong Kong is protesting Panama’s seizure of two ports on a canal vital for global trade that a Hong Kong-based company had managed for decades, the city’s government said, Huizhong Wu reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The ports drew global attention after US President Donald Trump accused China of “running the Panama Canal.” (Photo: Edward Ortiz, Wikimedia Commons) 

Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a statement it had lodged “stern protests” with Panama’s consulate, adding that it had expressed strong opposition and dissatisfaction and would “staunchly support the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong corporations overseas.”

The ports, located at the entrance and exit of the Panama Canal and operated by a subsidiary of CK Hutchison since 1997, became embroiled in a legal dispute after being caught in the middle of US-China competition for regional influence.

The ports drew global attention after US President Donald Trump accused China of “running the Panama Canal.”