Donald Trump has begun his second term as president by ramping up pressure on Panama – threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal and accusing the country of ceding control of the strategically critical waterway to a US rival: China.

President Trump is wrong when he says China controls the Panama Canal. But the U.S. rival does have influence there, and the administration is moving to counter it.

U.S. President Donald Trump has postponed a phone call with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino due to last-minute changes in the U.S. leader's agenda, Panama's government said on Friday, amid tensions over U.

Conservative President José Raúl Mulino wanted to work with Trump from day one. He’s now trying to stop a U.S. takeover of the Panama Canal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity in the Arctic and in Latin America.

Panama's decision to leave a key investment deal with China has drawn accusations from Beijing of "pressure and coercion" by the Trump administration.

In response to pressure from the Trump administration, Panama has withdrawn from China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Eric Olander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project, says the U.S. president will likely feel emboldened to seek similar leverage from the more than 100 other countries that are still part of Beijing's infrastructure project.