President-elect Donald J. Trump’s threat to take back the Panama Canal may be posturing, but it could dampen the Panamanian government’s wish to broaden relations with the United States, analysts say.

The Panama Canal Authority chief dismissed President-elect Trump’s claims that China is controlling the trade route and criticized his comments about fees. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales told The Wall

Over decades, a shift in US military strategy, larger carriers and the growth of commerce on the West Coast deemphasized US involvement.

Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the U.S. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has in recent days repeatedly denounced what he sees as China’s outsized influence on the Panama Canal – the crucial maritime passageway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

Analysts believe takeover comments could be aimed at getting lower fees, but they could also push Panama to embrace China