III 

119TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 31 

Calling on the Government of Panama to expel officials and interests of 

the People’s Republic of China and terminate Chinese management of 

key Panamanian ports. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 23, 2025 

Mr. SCHMITT (for himself, Mr. COTTON, Mr. MARSHALL, Mrs. BRITT, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, and Mr. RICKETTS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Government of Panama to expel officials and 

interests of the People’s Republic of China and terminate 

Chinese management of key Panamanian ports. 

Whereas the strategic location of the Panama Canal is vital 

to global trade and the security of the Western Hemisphere; 

Whereas Panamanians and Americans have invested significantly to secure the sovereignty, stability, and prosperity 

of Panama, including the construction, defense, and 

transfer of the Panama Canal, ensuring it remains a critical asset for global commerce; 

Whereas the construction of the Panama Canal by the United 

States required more than a decade of work (1904– 


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1914), involved tens of thousands of workers, and cost 

approximately $375,000,000, equivalent to more than 

$10,000,000,000 in 2025, with thousands of workers losing their lives due to disease and hazardous conditions; 

Whereas the defense and operation of the Panama Canal during the 20th century further demonstrated the United 

States’ commitment, at significant financial and human 

cost, to maintaining the vital global trade route; 

Whereas the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality 

and Operation of the Panama Canal, signed at Washington September 7, 1977 (commonly referred to as the 

‘‘Neutrality Treaty’’), prohibits actions that undermine 

the canal’s neutrality or threaten United States security 

interests and grants the United States the right to act, 

unilaterally if necessary, to defend the canal’s neutrality 

and ensure its operational security; 

Whereas the Neutrality Treaty obligates Panama and the 

United States to act against any threat to the neutrality 

or peaceful operation of the Panama Canal, including 

undue foreign control over its infrastructure or management; 

Whereas when President Carter ratified the Neutrality Treaty, President Carter accepted a legally binding condition 

to the Treaty, adopted by the United States Senate, establishing an independent right of the United States to 

intervene militarily, consistent with United States constitutional processes, to reopen or restore the operations 

of the Panama Canal, as the United States deems necessary, to ensure the canal remains open, neutral, secure, 

and accessible; 


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•SRES 31 IS 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China, through state-owned 

enterprises and Chinese government-affiliated private entities, has expanded its influence with key infrastructure 

projects and ports around the world, including in Panama, raising concerns about undue leverage and potential 

threats to free and fair navigation and trade; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China Belt and Road Initiative fosters economic dependence and exerts outsized 

geopolitical influence through its investments; 

Whereas Panama joined the Belt and Road Initiative in December 2018; 

Whereas the involvement of Chinese government-affiliated enterprises in the construction, management, and maintenance of other critical infrastructure, such as a proposed 

fourth bridge spanning the Panama Canal, calls into 

question the ability of Panama and the United States to 

defend the canal’s neutrality and ensure its operational 

security; 

Whereas two major ports in Panama, the ports of Balboa and 

Cristobal, are currently managed by Chinese-affiliated entities, such as Hutchison Ports, a Hong Kong-based operator with significant ties to China’s economic and political ecosystem, threatening the sovereignty of Panama 

and the security of the Western Hemisphere; 

Whereas the involvement of officials from the People’s Republic of China and entities that are subject to the National Security Law of the People’s Republic of China 

and similar laws in Panamanian ports and infrastructure 

compromises international security and disrupts critical 

trade routes; 


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Whereas the People’s Republic of China’s control over portions of the infrastructure of the Panama Canal poses a 

direct threat to the national security and strategic interests of the United States; 

Whereas allowing foreign exploitation of Panama’s ports and 

infrastructure undermines the sacrifices made to secure 

Panama’s independence and the shared values between 

Panama and the United States; and 

Whereas the United States and Panama have a long history 

of partnership and shared commitment to democratic 

governance, sovereignty, and the rule of law: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses profound concern about the pres3 ence and influence of the People’s Republic of China 

4 in Panamanian ports and infrastructure, particularly 

5 in facilities of strategic significance such as the 

6 ports of Balboa and Cristobal; 

7 (2) calls upon the Government of Panama to— 

8 (A) reaffirm its commitment to the ‘‘per9 manent neutrality’’ of the Panama Canal as de10 fined by the Neutrality Treaty by seeking man11 agement structures that ensure unbiased, equi12 table access for vessels of all nations; 

13 (B) review and terminate agreements al14 lowing Chinese state-owned enterprises or 

15 China-based so-called private entities to manage 


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1 strategic infrastructure, including the ports of 

2 Balboa and Cristobal; 

3 (C) expel all officials from the People’s Re4 public of China operating within Panamanian 

5 ports and other critical infrastructure projects; 

6 and 

7 (D) reaffirm its commitment to maintain8 ing the sovereignty of Panama and protecting 

9 the security of the Western Hemisphere by 

10 seeking partnerships that align with democratic 

11 values and mutual respect; 

12 (3) urges the Government of the United States 

13 to— 

14 (A) leverage provisions in the Neutrality 

15 Treaty, including Condition (1), to monitor and 

16 address threats to the neutrality of the Panama 

17 Canal, acting decisively to counter undue for18 eign influence; 

19 (B) provide technical, financial, and stra20 tegic support to Panama as it seeks to assert 

21 sovereignty over its critical infrastructure and 

22 reduce its dependence on entities affiliated with 

23 the People’s Republic of China; 

24 (C) strengthen collaboration with Panama 

25 and other allies in the region to promote transVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR31.IS SR31

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1 parent and sustainable investments in infra2 structure projects; 

3 (D) establish a framework to restore oper4 ational control of the Panama Canal to a col5 laborative partnership between the United 

6 States and Panama, which should honor the 

7 spirit of the Neutrality Treaty, respect Pan8 ama’s sovereignty, and incorporate United 

9 States expertise and resources to benefit both 

10 nations; 

11 (E) offer significant United States invest12 ments to modernize Panama’s canal infrastruc13 ture and provide alternatives to Chinese-funded 

14 projects; and 

15 (F) develop a joint United States-Panama 

16 task force to oversee canal security and oper17 ations, enhancing regional security and ensur18 ing freedom of navigation; 

19 (4) encourages Panama and other regional and 

20 global allies to monitor and counter efforts by au21 thoritarian regimes to exploit economic 

22 vulnerabilities to gain strategic leverage in the West23 ern Hemisphere; and 

24 (5) directs that the Secretary of the Senate 

25 transmit a copy of this resolution to the President 


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1 of the United States, the Secretary of State, the 

2 President of Panama, and the National Assembly of 

3 Panama. 

Æ 


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