China reacts to new Panama links to Taiwan

The creation of the Panama-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, made up of 43 deputies from different parties, provoked a reaction from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Panama, which expressed its “strong discontent and energetic rejection” of the initiative.

In a statement released late Tuesday, September 8, the Chinese diplomatic mission said that some Panamanian deputies violated the one-China principle by promoting the so-called parliamentary exchange group with Taiwan and questioned “the blatant support of a congressman from a certain country” for the initiative.

The reaction comes hours after US Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart sent a recorded message for the formal installation in the National Assembly of the parliamentary group for rapprochement with Taiwan.

In a statement released late Tuesday, September 8, the Chinese diplomatic mission said that some Panamanian deputies violated the one-China principle by promoting the so-called parliamentary exchange group with Taiwan and questioned “the blatant support of a congressman from a certain country” for the initiative.

The reaction comes hours after US Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart sent a recorded message for the formal installation in the National Assembly of the parliamentary group for rapprochement with Taiwan.

The Chinese Embassy argued that Panama has maintained diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China since 2017 under the one-China principle and maintained that Panamanian state institutions must observe the State’s foreign policy.