As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal.

In recent days the president-elect has called for asserting U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, showing that his “America First” philosophy has an expansionist dimension.

President-elect Donald Trump spent Christmas Day laying out his foreign policy aspirations for his second term, including his threat to retake control of the Panama Canal. He also suggested the U.S. could take control of Greenland and Canada.