Washington, April 29 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "the sovereignty of our hemisphere is non-negotiable," warning China's recent economic actions tied to Panama's maritime sector.
The US criticised Chinese economic retaliation after a Hong Kong-based conglomerate lost a legal dispute over the management of ports on the Panama Canal.
Rubio's statement comes amid growing tensions over what US officials describe as "targeted economic pressure" by China following a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court concerning the strategic Balboa and Cristóbal terminals-key gateways to global shipping routes connected to the Panama Canal.
In unusually strong language, Rubio emphasized that any external attempt to influence or coerce nations i...