redstate.com By streiff
For the last decade, China has been on the strategic offensive with a virtually unbroken series of diplomatic successes as its “Belt and Road Initiative” advanced. It helmed the “BRICS”—short for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—alliance from a curiosity in 2006 to a 10-member organization that looks, suspiciously, like a means to control the world’s maritime chokepoints and supply China with raw materials. Let’s face it, if you have Russia and South Africa on your bingo card as potential economic powerhouses, you might want to invest in another card or two. This seems to have come to a screeching halt, and all, or part, of that is due to rejuvenated American diplomacy.
Panama Canal, Panama
When President Trump was inaugurated a year ago, China effectively owned the Panama Canal. Panama joined the Belt and Road Initiative in November 2017. Chinese control of the Panama Canal dates back to 1997, when Panama and Hong Kong signed a contract to operate two ports, Balboa and Cristobal, the west and east termini, respectively, of the Panama Canal.
President Trump’s objections led Panama to leave the Belt and Road Initiative on February 3, 2025. This set the stage for a deal in which BlackRock was supposed to buy out Hong Kong-based CK Hutchinson Holdings, the operator of the Bilbao and Cristobal port complexes, for $22.8 billion. At the last minute, the ChiComs stepped in and blocked the deal…
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