Weekly Report - 16 April 2026 (WR-26-15)

In his weekly press conference on 9 April, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino reiterated that his government has “no interest in having a problem with China”. His remarks come as relations with Beijing remain strained following his government’s takeover of two ports on the Panama Canal in February [WR-26-08], Balboa and Cristóbal, after a 29 January supreme court ruling struck down a contract granted to Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-headquartered CK Hutchison Holdings (CKHH). Mulino’s comments come as CKHH is ramping up arbitration proceedings in relation to the takeover, and amid reports of a rise in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China.