Panama is weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates ports near the Panama Canal, according to people with knowledge of the situation, a potential concession to defuse President Donald Trump’s threats about countering China’s influence around the key waterway.

Even though the Panama Canal is run by an autonomous entity overseen by the Panamanian government, the U.S. government claims China exerts influence through a Hong Kong-based comp

A sprawling business empire built by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing is caught in the crossfire as the extent of Chinese influence over the Panama Canal is debated.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week it was "unacceptable" for Hong Kong-based companies to control the canal's entry and exit points,

Two Panamanian lawyers filed a complaint on Monday (Feb 3) to cancel the concession of a Hong Kong-based company for operating two ports on the Panama Canal, following United States President Donald T

Panama’s government and President José Raúl Mulino have repeatedly denied that there is any Chinese presence at the canal.

If such a move goes through, it would mark a major gift to Trump, who says that China has too much control over the canal and hasn’t ruled out seizing it by force.

Two Panamanian lawyers filed a complaint on Monday to cancel the concession of a Hong Kong-based company for operating two ports on the Panama Canal, following US President Donald Trump’s threats to seize the vital waterway.