Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has denied claims by US president-elect Donald Trump that there are Chinese soldiers stationed at the Panama Canal.
In recent days Trump has threatened to take the canal back into US control, accusing Panama of “ripping off” the US by charging high shipping rates.
In a message posted to his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump wrote: “Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal”.
Mulino called the claim “nonsense” and said that there is “absolutely no Chinese interference”.

Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump clashed online over a visa programme intended to bring skilled workers to the US – showing possible cracks in the upcoming administration.
Vivek Ramaswamy, tapped by Trump to slash government spending, claimed American culture is to blame for US firms deciding to hire skilled foreign workers, which is typically done via the H-1B temporary worker visas.
“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” Ramaswamy wrote in a long X post that argued that foreign workers improve the the US economy.
The post attracted backlash from Trump supporters who are strongly opposed to immigration of any sort, causing Ramaswamy to clarify his position.

The US has imposed sanctions on Georgia’s former prime minister and billionaire founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ivanishvili and his party had “derailed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future”, leaving it vulnerable to Russia.
Ivanishvilli is not an elected official but he has been described as the “honorary chairman” of Georgian Dream, which has spent 12 years in power.
The party claimed victory in recent elections amid allegations of fraud and swiftly announced the suspension of EU accession talks, sparking widespread protests.