China has criticised what it called US “coercion” after Panama declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing following Washington’s threat to take back the Panama Canal. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a briefing that China “firmly opposes the US smearing and undermining the Belt and Road co-operation through means of pressure and coercion”.

China on lashed out at what it called U.S. “coercion” after Panama declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing following Washington’s threat to take back the Panama Canal.