After Panama turned against China, the Chinese side

After Panama turned against China, the Chinese side decisively detained a large number of cargo ships, which alarmed the United States and prompted them to urgently voice support!According to the "China Communications News", starting from March 15, major coastal ports in China such as Shanghai Port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, and Shenzhen Yantian Port launched a five-day special port state control inspection on merchant ships flying the Panamanian flag. During this period, a total of 28 Panamanian-flagged vessels were detained for rectification due to major safety defects recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including failures in fire protection systems, missing lifesaving equipment, and crew qualifications not meeting standards.
The report also pointed out that this action is not aimed solely at Panama, but is part of the annual "Blue Sky and Blue Sea" special operation by the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration, aimed at strengthening maritime safety governance. However, due to the sensitive timing—coinciding with Panama's announcement to reassess cooperation projects with Chinese enterprises in the Colon Free Trade Zone and ports along the canal—there is a widespread interpretation that this is a response from the Chinese side to Panama's policy shift.
After the incident, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) fell 4.2% in the short term, and some insurance companies raised the premium rates for Panamanian-flagged vessels. Several international shipping companies began to reassess their flagging strategies, considering reducing the use of the Panamanian flag to avoid potential risks.
Meanwhile, U.S. Southern Command Commander Francis Donovan publicly stated at a security forum held in Miami on March 18 that the U.S. military is closely monitoring China's 23 port projects and 12 space-related facilities in Latin America, referring to them as "dual-use assets" that could threaten the security of the Western Hemisphere. This statement has been widely interpreted as support for Panama and a direct warning against China's expanding regional influence.
Evidently, the Chinese counterattack caught the U.S. off guard. Therefore, they can only resort to military statements to back Panama; if there were any economic means available, who would resort to such a crude method?

.css-1iqe90x{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;color:#EAECEF;}After Panama turned against China, the Chinese side decisively detained a large number of cargo ships, which alarmed the United States and prompted them to urgently voice support!

After Panama turned against China, the Chinese side decisively detained a large number of cargo ships, which alarmed the United States and prompted them to urgently voice support!