Panama has decided to step away from a major global project led by China. The country’s president, José Raúl Mulino, announced that it will not renew its deal with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China has summoned the Panamanian ambassador to complain about the country's decision to pull out of the Belt and Road Initiative. Assistant foreign minister Zhao Zhiyuan said on Friday that Beijing "deeply" regretted the decision,

China is opposed to U.S. "smearing and sabotage" of the Belt and Road Initiative in Panama through "pressure and coercion", its foreign ministry said on Friday, after the South American nation decided to exit the programme.

Panama has officially informed Beijing of its decision to withdraw from China's massive infrastructure and investment project, the Belt and Road Initiative, the country's leader announced on Thursday.

Following Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the US needs to “ take back ” the Panama canal from Chinese control, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited Panama to demand the country reduce China’s influence. On the surface, it seems Rubio has succeeded.

BEIJING – China expressed regret on Feb 8 over Panama’s intention to leave Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), urging the Latin American nation to “make the right decision”. Assistant Foreign Minister Zhao Zhiyuan met Panama’s ambassador to China and lodged solemn representations, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Panamanian government had signed the agreement in 2017. Rubio had told President Mulino to reduce Chinese influence around the canal or face consequences

China on Friday lashed out at what it called U.S. “coercion” after Panama declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing following Washington’s threat to take back the Panama Canal.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing that China “firmly opposes the U.