KABUL: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a meeting with Panamanian officials that control of the Panama Canal by China is unacceptable.
He emphasized that if China does not relinquish its claims, the United States will take necessary measures to secure its access to this waterway.
The Panama Canal was constructed by the U.S. in 1914 and was under American administration for a long time, but it was handed over to the Panamanian government on December 31, 1999, under a treaty.