Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he had "zero doubt" that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the U.S. and that Washington intends to address what it sees as a national security threat.

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.

President Donald Trump's suggestion of the U.S. taking control of the Panama Canal has a legal basis partly due to potential treaty violations involving Chinese activities in Panama.

China's influence on the Panama Canal is a major risk to U.S. national security, Sen. Ted Cruz told lawmakers during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill.

Central American nation offers closer cooperation on migration and security while seeking to ease U.S. fears about Chinese influence over the Panama Canal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that President Trump’s interest in taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal “is not a joke” and vital to US national security interests. “This is not a joke,

The Tuesday hearing delved into security issues and foreign influence on the foremost maritime channel connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

US senators heard sharply different analyses about Chinese influence over the Panama Canal on Wednesday, with some experts suggesting solutions ranging from enhanced trade partnerships to military intervention to regain control of the strategic waterway.

Panama President José Raúl Mulino says there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal

Trump is right to lament the lives lost for the creation of the canal. They were mostly Black Caribbean migrant workers, living and dying under Jim Crow conditions that the U.S. imposed in Panama.

The head of the Federal Maritime Commission will tell a U.S. Senate committee that the United States has options to address the growing presence of China and Chinese firms in Panama.