US, Latin America countries criticise China's retaliation

Washington DC [US], April 30: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States have released a joint statement in support of Panama, while criticising Chinese economic retaliation, after a Hong Kong-based conglomerate lost a legal dispute over the management of ports on the Panama Canal.
Panama's Supreme Court in late January annulled contracts that had allowed a subsidiary of Hong Kong's CK Hutchison to administer the Balboa and Cristobal port terminals on the Panama Canal after deeming the decades-old agreements unconstitutional.
In their joint statement on Tuesday, the six countries claimed that following the court ruling, China has retaliated against Panama with "targeted economic pressure" on Panamanian-flagged ships.
China detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships in March, according to the US Federal Maritime Commission, a number "far exceeding historical norms".
"These actions - following the decision of Panama's independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristobal terminals - are a blatant attempt to politicise maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere," the signatories said.
Source: Qatar Tribune