HRES232-119

That the House of Representatives— expresses profound concern about the presence and influence of the People’s Republic of China in Panamanian ports and infrastructure, particularly in facilities of strategic significance such as the ports of Balboa and Cristobal; calls upon the Government of Panama to— reaffirm its commitment to the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal as defined by the Neutrality Treaty by seeking management structures that ensure unbiased, equitable access for vessels of all nations; review and terminate agreements allowing Chinese state-owned enterprises or China-based so-called private entities to manage strategic infrastructure, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal; expel all officials from the People’s Republic of China operating within Panamanian ports and other critical infrastructure projects; and reaffirm its commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of Panama and protecting the security of the Western Hemisphere by seeking partnerships that align with democratic values and mutual respect; urges the Government of the United States to— leverage provisions in the Neutrality Treaty, including Condition (1), to monitor and address threats to the neutrality of the Panama Canal, acting decisively to counter undue foreign influence; provide technical, financial, and strategic support to Panama as it seeks to assert sovereignty over its critical infrastructure and reduce its dependence on entities affiliated with the People’s Republic of China; strengthen collaboration with Panama and other allies in the region to promote transparent and sustainable investments in infrastructure projects; establish a framework to restore operational control of the Panama Canal to a collaborative partnership between the United States and Panama, which should honor the spirit of the Neutrality Treaty, respect Panama’s sovereignty, and incorporate United States expertise and resources to benefit both nations; offer significant United States investments to modernize Panama’s canal infrastructure and provide alternatives to Chinese-funded projects; and develop a joint United States-Panama task force to oversee canal security and operations, enhancing regional security and ensuring freedom of navigation; encourages Panama and other regional and global allies to monitor and counter efforts by authoritarian regimes to exploit economic vulnerabilities to gain strategic leverage in the Western Hemisphere; and directs that the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the President of Panama, and the National Assembly of Panama.