Tensions between the United States and China escalated this week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Beijing of being a threat to the Panama Canal, prompting a swift retort from Chinese officials, who labeled the remarks as “blackmail” and interference, The Hill reported.

Hegseth recently claimed that China poses a threat to the Panama Canal and vowed that the U.S. and Panama “will take back” the strategic waterway from Chinese influence.

Hegseth made the statement Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new U.S.-funded dock on the canal, where he criticized China’s expanding presence in Panama and its control over key infrastructure near the canal’s entry points.

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