Panama's president denies making a deal that US ships can transit the canal for free

China says it "regrets" Panama's decision to pull out of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), accusing the United States of using "pressure and coercion to smear and undermine" the project, a massive infrastructure initiative aimed at expanding Beijing's clout overseas. On 6 February, Panama confirmed it had withdrawn from the BRI, following threats made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Chinese influence on the Panama Canal. Since winning the US election in November, President Trump has refused to rule out using force to seize the canal, built by Washington over a century ago and later handed over to Panama.

The United States announced that its government vessels will now transit the Panama Canal free of charge, saving millions of dollars annually. This comes after...