Panama asks China for respect after ship detentions tied to ports ruling - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOTTM4ZjhsZEllaWpyX0pSeUowNE1jUjNuNmJhQWdYb0FaNXJrbFdOWXNocndNMGFTZkROZkdLU1p2NHlZYk9XcjZTeFVxRjdFQ2RRTmtrT3RPVHlHOWNBbkJxaG5oRU1yZWZGcDZKUUpLUzhYY2RZUDdhYV80cEg2cnVOUGlsdFVJOGk5Nk9yTkhhVTNIX2dZRWJaemdJRGJnQTZHZnVObGNSWGZqd3dSOTh2WQ?oc=5" target="_blank">Panama asks China for respect after ship detentions tied to ports ruling</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused China of 'bullying' by detaining Panama-flagged ships following Panama's move to reclaim control of two key ports on the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based company's subsidiary.

China accused the United States of fabricating claims that Beijing had detained Panama-flagged ships in a long-running dispute over control of the strategic Panama Canal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned China for detaining Panama-flagged vessels, calling the actions a threat to global trade. The detentions follow a Panamanian court ruling that voided a contract with a Chinese firm to operate ports at the Panama Canal.

The number of Panama-flagged ships detained by China’s Port State Control soared in March, compared with February and January, according to The Loadstar’s analysis of the Tokyo MOU detention list.