Donald Trump has begun his second term as president by ramping up pressure on Panama – threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal and accusing the country of ceding control of the strategically critical waterway to a US rival: China.

President Trump is wrong when he says China controls the Panama Canal. But the U.S. rival does have influence there, and the administration is moving to counter it.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his Day 1 promise to seize control of the Panama Canal to counter China's alleged growing influence in

In his inaugural address last month, Donald Trump described the US decision to hand full control of the canal to Panama, in 1999, as "a foolish gift that should have never been made".

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity in the Arctic and in Latin America.

A black, massive Hong Kong-registered ship inched its way through the churning waters of the Panama Canal — guided by tugboats stern and aft, and sweating Panamanians hoisting yellow ropes to latch onto the ship's higher levels.

Whether the U.S. or Panama own the Panama Canal, one of the largest routes for ship traffic in the world still faces horrible drought that will slow traffic through it, or shutter in completely from time to time.