Washington DC, April 29 -- The United States and its allies have raised concerns over what they described as China's "targeted economic pressure" on Panama following a key court decision affecting port operations linked to the Chinese firm CK Hutchison.

In a joint statement, the US, along with Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, reaffirmed their commitment to regional sovereignty and security.

"We, the nations of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, standing together in our shared mission to secure our hemisphere, reaffirm that the freedom of our region is non-negotiable. We are monitoring with vigilance China's targeted economic pressure and the recent actions tha...