China’s state media and diplomats lashed out at Washington on Wednesday after nine Panamanian lawmakers joined a global parliamentary alliance that Beijing denounced as an anti-China front.
The move, announced in Panama’s National Assembly a day earlier at a ceremony backed by the US ambassador, drew sharp criticism from state outlets such as the China Daily and Global Times, which accused Washington of coercion and manipulation.
The lawmakers declared their membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, known as IPAC, on Tuesday. The event was attended by US Ambassador Kevin Cabrera, who said Panama’s participation aligned the country with democratic partners even as he warned of growing Chinese influence worldwide.
“Cabrera’s move represents the latest proof of the US’ coercive and bullying actions”, a China Daily editorial said, terming it “a brazen attempt to drive a wedge between China and Panama”.
Cabrera cited what he described as cyberattacks in Latin America and economic practices that generate unsustainable debt. He also pointed to a Chinese-owned company that Panama’s comptroller general says owes the government US$600 million.
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Why the US is worried about China’s growing influence in South America
Why the US is worried about China’s growing influence in South America
One of the deputies, Manuel Cohen, said the coalition’s central mission was to “defend democracy and human rights in each of the nations we love”.
