Treaties ratified by the Senate in 1978 established permanent neutrality, but some Republicans regret that decision.

The administrator of the Panama Canal has responded to criticisms from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, denying that there is any interference from China in the canal’s operations and saying giving special privileges to any nation would only cause problems.

Few took the president-elect’s combative comments at face value, but they still sent a shudder through a country that the United States has invaded before.

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.

If commercial fees are typically low and America’s navy already has cheap and preferential access, why is Mr Trump threatening to take the canal? The simplest answer may be that the president-elect is expressing geopolitical machismo,