There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal. You are free, the whole world is free to visit the canal if you please,' says Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino - Anadolu Ajansı

As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal.