China is losing more than just two ports in PanamaBy J.P. Spinetto / Bloomberg OpinionThe Panamanian Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday last week invalidating Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison Holdings’ contract to operate two key ports at either end of the Panama Canal caps a month marked by high-profile strategic defeats for Beijing in the region. However, the ruling in Panama might prove the most consequential setback of all. The canal remains one of the world’s most strategic infrastructure assets, handling about 5 percent of global trade. China is the largest user of the waterway after the US, quietly building a string of assets around it, even if the canal itself remains firmly under the independent control of the Panama Canal Authority. After becoming the first Latin American country to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Panama under President Jose Raul Mulino has moved back toward its historically close alignment with Washington.

Source: Taipei Times February 03, 2026 18:14 UTC