U.S. to take back Panama Canal from Chinese influence, visiting Pentagon chief says

Hegseth is the first U.S. defense secretary to visit in decades, and his trip follows reports that the Trump administration has requested options from the U.S. military to ensure access to the canal, which the United States built more than a century ago and handed over to Panama in 1999. "On the whole, this hasn't been a winning issue for the United States in terms of public diplomacy in Panama," said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Current and former U.S. officials say the Panama Canal would be critical for the passage of U.S. warships during any future conflict in Asia, since Navy vessels would transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific to support the war effort.