IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 232 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2025 
Mr. ARRINGTON (for himself and Mr. BURCHETT) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
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 Hemi-
sphere; 
Whereas Panamanians and Americans have invested signifi-
cantly to secure the sovereignty, stability, and prosperity 
of Panama, including the construction, defense, and 
transfer of the Panama Canal, ensuring it remains a crit-
ical asset for global commerce; 
Whereas the construction of the Panama Canal by the United 
States required more than a decade of work (1904– 
1914), involved tens of thousands of workers, and cost 
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•HRES 232 IH 
approximately $375,000,000, equivalent to more than 
$10,000,000,000 in 2025, with thousands of workers los-
ing their lives due to disease and hazardous conditions; 
Whereas the defense and operation of the Panama Canal dur-
ing 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 Wash-
ington 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 manage-
ment; 
Whereas when President Carter ratified the Neutrality Trea-
ty, President Carter accepted a legally binding condition 
to the Treaty, adopted by the United States Senate, es-
tablishing an independent right of the United States to 
intervene militarily, consistent with United States con-
stitutional processes, to reopen or restore the operations 
of the Panama Canal, as the United States deems nec-
essary, to ensure the canal remains open, neutral, secure, 
and accessible; 
Whereas the People’s Republic of China, through state-owned 
enterprises and Chinese government-affiliated private en-
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•HRES 232 IH 
tities, has expanded its influence with key infrastructure 
projects and ports around the world, including in Pan-
ama, 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 Ini-
tiative fosters economic dependence and exerts outsized 
geopolitical influence through its investments; 
Whereas Panama joined the Belt and Road Initiative in De-
cember 2018; 
Whereas the involvement of Chinese government-affiliated en-
terprises in the construction, management, and mainte-
nance 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 en-
tities, such as Hutchison Ports, a Hong Kong-based op-
erator with significant ties to China’s economic and polit-
ical ecosystem, threatening the sovereignty of Panama 
and the security of the Western Hemisphere; 
Whereas the involvement of officials from the People’s Re-
public of China and entities that are subject to the Na-
tional 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; 
Whereas the People’s Republic of China’s control over por-
tions of the infrastructure of the Panama Canal poses a 
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direct threat to the national security and strategic inter-
ests 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, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses profound concern about the pres-
ence and influence of the People’s Republic of China 
in Panamanian ports and infrastructure, particularly 
in facilities of strategic significance such as the 
ports of Balboa and Cristobal; 
(2) calls upon the Government of Panama to— 
(A) reaffirm its commitment to the ‘‘per-
manent neutrality’’ of the Panama Canal as de-
fined by the Neutrality Treaty by seeking man-
agement structures that ensure unbiased, equi-
table access for vessels of all nations; 
(B) review and terminate agreements al-
lowing Chinese state-owned enterprises or 
China-based so-called private entities to manage 
strategic infrastructure, including the ports of 
Balboa and Cristobal; 
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(C) expel all officials from the People’s Re-
public of China operating within Panamanian 
ports and other critical infrastructure projects; 
and 
(D) reaffirm its commitment to maintain-
ing the sovereignty of Panama and protecting 
the security of the Western Hemisphere by 
seeking partnerships that align with democratic 
values and mutual respect; 
(3) urges the Government of the United States 
to— 
(A) leverage provisions in the Neutrality 
Treaty, including Condition (1), to monitor and 
address threats to the neutrality of the Panama 
Canal, acting decisively to counter undue for-
eign influence; 
(B) provide technical, financial, and stra-
tegic support to Panama as it seeks to assert 
sovereignty over its critical infrastructure and 
reduce its dependence on entities affiliated with 
the People’s Republic of China; 
(C) strengthen collaboration with Panama 
and other allies in the region to promote trans-
parent and sustainable investments in infra-
structure projects; 
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(D) establish a framework to restore oper-
ational control of the Panama Canal to a col-
laborative partnership between the United 
States and Panama, which should honor the 
spirit of the Neutrality Treaty, respect Pan-
ama’s sovereignty, and incorporate United 
States expertise and resources to benefit both 
nations; 
(E) offer significant United States invest-
ments to modernize Panama’s canal infrastruc-
ture and provide alternatives to Chinese-funded 
projects; and 
(F) develop a joint United States-Panama 
task force to oversee canal security and oper-
ations, enhancing regional security and ensur-
ing freedom of navigation; 
(4) encourages Panama and other regional and 
global allies to monitor and counter efforts by au-
thoritarian 
regimes 
to 
exploit 
economic 
vulnerabilities to gain strategic leverage in the West-
ern Hemisphere; and 
(5) directs that the Secretary of the Senate 
transmit a copy of this resolution to the President 
of the United States, the Secretary of State, the 
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President of Panama, and the National Assembly of 
Panama. 
Æ 
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