China’s detentions of Panama-flagged vessels raise concerns, Rubio says

(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said last week it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China that appears tied to a Panama court ruling against Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. “China’s recent actions against Panama-flagged vessels raise serious concerns about the use of economic tools to undermine the rule of law in Panama, a sovereign nation and vital partner for global commerce,” Rubio said in a statement. – China’s detentions of Panama-flagged vessels raise concerns, Rubio says