Marco Rubio Says He Wil Discuss Control of The Panama Canal In His Visit Even If The President Doesn't Want To

Ahead of his visit to Panama, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S.'s interest in the Panama Canal will be discussed even if the country's president doesn't want to.

"We're going to address that topic," Rubio said while speaking to SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly, Rubio said Trump's desire to take back control of the canal stems from legitimate national security interests, which include countering China's influence in Latin America.

"The president's been pretty clear he wants to administer the canal again. Obviously, the Panamanians are not big fans of that idea. That message has been brought very clear," he added.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino had said ahead of Rubio's visit on Saturday that he won't discuss control of the canal, describing the matter as "sealed." "I cannot negotiate and much less open a process of negotiation on the Canal," Mulino said during his weekly press conference.

President Donald Trump has said China is "controlling" the canal and has repeatedly vowed to take it back, including during his inaugural speech. Trump has also accused Panama of favoring China over the U.S., falsely asserting that Chinese authorities operate the waterway. The canal is managed by an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump claimed that 64% of the signs in the canal zone were in Mandarin and that Panama was rapidly removing them in response to scrutiny. "Panama is trying at great speed to eliminate the 64% of signs written in Chinese. They are all over the zone because China controls the Panama Canal. PANAMA WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Trump wrote, attaching a photo of a Bank of China advertisement near the canal. The president did not provide a source for his assertions.

"They're all over Panama," Rubio said in reference to Chinese companies operating in ports and other facilities around the canal. "If the government in China in a conflict tells them to shut down the Panama Canal, they will have to," he added. "I have zero doubt that they have contingency planning to do so that is a direct threat."

Rubio also echoed Trump's concerns about U.S. ships being overcharged for use of the canal, something President Mulino has also rejected. "We should not be in a position of having to pay more than other countries. In fact, we should be getting a discount or maybe for free, because we paid for the thing," Rubio said.

The government of Panama filed a complaint to the United Nations following Trump's threat, referring to an article of the UN Charter precluding any member from "the threat or use of force" against the territorial integrity or political independence of another.