Countering Beijing and 'deepening economic partnerships' to boost regional prosperity said to be on agenda in tour that starts in Panama US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first international trip since taking office on Saturday,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed zero doubt that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in a potential conflict with the U.S. Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Rubio emphasized

Trump previously vowed that the US would take back the canal but did not say when or how. Read more at straitstimes.com.

China's presence around the Panama Canal is a national security concern that Panama's government has to deal with, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy for Latin America, said on Friday, ahead of U.