Sec. of State Rubio Asserts Trump’s Plans for Greenland & Panama Canal Serious, Based on Security Concerns
Earlier this week, I covered the histrionics of European leaders over President Donald Trump’s plans for a new relationship with Greenland, especially as it is poised to make a move for independence.
Even the French were riled up enough to offer their troops.
Meanwhile, on the the other side of “the pond”, Trump’s new team at the State Department is proceeding with their plans and ignoring the Euro-drama.
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 and influence in the Arctic and in Latin America.Ahead of a trip to Central America that will start in Panama this weekend, Rubio said Thursday that he could not predict if Trump would succeed in buying Greenland from Denmark or restoring American authority over the Panama Canal while he is office. But he said the attention that Trump will give to both would have an impact.“What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure; our interest in the Panama Canal will be more secure,” Rubio said in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly.Rubio will arrive in Panama on Saturday on his first official foreign trip as America’s top diplomat, signaling the importance that both he and Trump place on securing the canal. Although immigration will be a major topic of conversation in Panama and at his other stops, Rubio said the canal issue is a priority.
While I have been focused on Greenland in my reports, I would note significant concerns about China’s influence on the Panama Canal. Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, has managed two key ports adjacent to the canal since 1997 — Balboa on the Pacific side and Cristóbal on the Atlantic. Although not directly controlled by the Chinese government, this arrangement has raised concerns about potential Chinese influence in the region.
Beijing’s national security laws now extend to Hong Kong.
Former Republican Senator Marco Rubio, now Trump’s secretary of state, has criticized Chinese influence over the canal. In his Senate confirmation hearing, he said that Beijing, through the expansion of Chinese-owned companies, has “the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict,” which is “a direct threat to the interests and the national security of the United States.”
In the wake of Trump’s and Rubio’s statements, Panama has launched an audit of the Panama Ports Company.
And, as a reminder, the terms of the treaty we have with Panama regarding the canal include the right to defend it from any threat that might interfere with its continued neutral service.
Now, let’s return to Greenland. In an intriguing move, Trump has ordered 40 new icebreakers for the country.
The U.S. Coast Guard currently has funds from Congress for a planned three-vessel order for the Polar Security Cutter program, built by Bollinger. The first was approved in late December after years of delay, and the program faces cost overruns. The service’s last icebreaker study suggested a need for at least three more medium icebreakers in addition to the current program of record, and its regional icebreaker fleet for the Great Lakes is also advancing in age.At present, the service’s seagoing fleet has one heavy icebreaker and one medium icebreaker – both aging – and one “bridging strategy” icebreaker, a commercial conversion that will fill gaps until delivery of the first Polar Security Cutter.
The chess pieces are being moved by a team that finally places American interests first.
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