Chinese Community Monument in Panama Dismantled Overnight... China Strongly Protests

Removed by City Hall Citing Safety Concerns

As the power struggle between the United States and China over the Panama Canal continues, the Chinese government has strongly protested after a monument commemorating the Chinese community in Panama was dismantled late at night.

On June 13, 2017 (local time), a monument commemorating Chinese settlement was installed in Arraijan, Panama. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by the Chinese Embassy in Panama on the 29th (local time), the "150th Anniversary of Chinese Settlement" monument, which had been installed in the Americas Bridge Observatory area near the Panama Canal, was removed during overnight work on the 27th.

The monument, symbolizing the friendly relationship between Panama and China and honoring the contributions of the Chinese community in Panama, was erected in 2004. The Arraijan City Hall stated that the decision was made for safety reasons and that there was no intention to damage or deny the cultural heritage of the Chinese community in Panama. However, the local daily La Prensa reported that there had been no prior consultation with the Chinese side, which had aimed for technical reinforcement of the monument.

The Chinese side immediately protested. Xu Shixueyuan, the Chinese Ambassador to Panama, who visited the demolition site in person, said, "This is a serious wound to the friendship between the two countries and an insult to the 300,000 Chinese-Panamanians." Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also stated, "China strongly condemns the removal of the Chinese monument by the Panamanian local government and has lodged a protest with the Panamanian side."

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino criticized the decision made by the mayor of Arraijan. President Mulino posted on X, "The barbaric act of removing the monument to the Chinese community at the Americas Bridge by the mayor of Arraijan cannot be justified for any reason," adding that he plans to explore the possibility of restoring the monument through a historical heritage program.

Geopolitical tensions between the United States and China have continued in Panama since January this year, even before the launch of Donald Trump's second administration. President Trump claimed, "The Panama Canal has come under Chinese influence," and stated that he would reclaim control of the Panama Canal, which was transferred through a bilateral treaty in 1999. This remark was interpreted as being directed at CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based company that operates two out of the five ports in the Panama Canal. Although CK Hutchison is a private company unrelated to Chinese authorities, it previously decided to sell its canal operating rights to an American asset management firm.

The United States is a major user of the 80-kilometer-long Panama Canal, which handles about 5% of global maritime trade. According to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), in the 2024 fiscal year (October 2023 to September 2024), U.S. vessels transported 157.06 million tons through the canal. China (45.04 million tons), Japan (33.73 million tons), and South Korea (19.66 million tons) followed.