WASHINGTON (April 2): Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said last week it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China that appears tied to a Panama court ruling against Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. "China’s recent actions against Panama-flagged vessels raise serious concerns about the use of economic tools to undermine the rule of law in Panama, a sovereign nation and vital partner for global commerce," Rubio said in a statement. "This sovereign ruling upheld transparency, the rule of law, and held private operators accountable to the public interest," Rubio said. China has said it firmly opposes the ruling against Hutchison's port concessions, calling it an "act of bad faith."

Source: The Edge Markets April 02, 2026 14:55 UTC