President-elect Donald J. Trump’s threat to take back the Panama Canal may be posturing, but it could dampen the Panamanian government’s wish to broaden relations with the United States, analysts say.

Beijing’s efforts to expand its reach in the country have hit several obstacles, in part because of American pressure.

Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the U.S. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has in recent days repeatedly denounced what he sees as China’s outsized influence on the Panama Canal – the crucial maritime passageway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

China Saw Opportunity in the Panama Canal as US Interest Dwindled: Over decades, a shift in US military strategy, larger carriers and the growth of commerce on the West Coast deemphasized US involvement.

President-elect Trump is right to support the Monroe Doctrine. But to keep Xi Jinping out of America's backyard, the next administration should get tough on China, not Panama.

The Monroe Doctrine is back in full swing – both with President-elect Donald Trump’s push for a takeover of the Panama Canal and new legislation from Rep. Mark Green to encourage investment in Latin America.

Trump's claim that Chinese soldiers exercise authority over the Panama Canal is inaccurate, but his assertion that China manipulates the use of the passage is a long-held U.S. concern.

Chinese companies operate ports on both ends of the Panama Canal and invest in mining in Greenland. Read more at straitstimes.com.

CSIS Americas Program director Ryan C. Berg and Andrew Sanders make the case for increased U.S. engagement with Panama to mitigate strategic vulnerabilities presented by insecurity, irregular migration,

The US is the biggest user of the Canal, but influence on its operations is dispersed among contracts with bidders internationally.

Panama is part of a bigger piece of real estate that Mr Trump has his eye on. He wants to influence territory and infrastructure close to the United States. He views Mexico as a source of unwanted migration,