US and China clashed at the UN over the Panama Canal, with disputes on control, sovereignty, and security risks to global trade routes.
On August 11, 2025, at a United Nations Security Council session, the United States and China engaged in a tense exchange over the Panama Canal. The U.S. argued that China’s expanding role in the canal’s operations could endanger international trade and security. In response, China dismissed the accusations, saying they were simply a cover for Washington to try to gain control of the route. Chairing the meeting, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino stressed that the canal remains neutral and fully under Panama’s sovereignty. U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea raised concerns about Beijing’s influence in port facilities and related infrastructure. China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong rejected these concerns, backed Panama’s authority over the canal, and criticized the U.S. stance as unfounded and destabilizing. The dispute reflected deeper geopolitical friction between the two powers, following earlier American efforts to limit Chinese involvement in canal-linked port operations. On Monday, August ...