Panama rejects canal corruption fears
March 2, 2009—The head of the Panama Canal Authority has rejected fears that corruption and the global financial crisis could mar ambitious plans to expand capacity of the inter-ocean seaway. Read Article

Beijing seeks Latin trade ties
February 16, 2009—BEIJING - As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton headed to Asia on Sunday, China was embarking on a double-pronged diplomatic mission in Latin America, seeking more robust trade ties to temper the impact of the financial crisis and demonstrate its swelling influence in the U.S. backyard. Read Article

China announces military dialogue with US to resume with Feb. 27-28 meeting in Beijing
February 15, 2009—BEIJING (AP) - Suspended contacts between the U.S. and Chinese militaries will resume later this month shortly after a visit by newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chinese state media reported Monday. Read Article

Feds: U.S. defense analyst leaked secrets to China
February 11, 2009—WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Defense Department weapons system analyst and three Chinese nationals have been arrested and charged in two espionage-related cases, prompting a top Justice Department official Monday to declare Chinese espionage is approaching "Cold War levels." Read Article

China pursues Latin America ties
February 9, 2009—Two top Chinese officials have started visits to Latin America as part of an intensified effort to strengthen ties with the region.

Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu is to visit Argentina, Ecuador, Barbados and the Bahamas. Read Article

Wen Jiabao's tour of Western capitals underlines the fragility of China's prosperity
February 3, 2009—There is something extraordinary about the spectacle of a Chinese prime minister touring Western capitals to bolster his country. A year ago his "Journey of Confidence" would have been not only unnecessary but contrary to China's own wish to play down its emergence. Even now, many may wonder why he has risked a new slogan to market his country. Previous slogans, after all, are hardly inspiring: both the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution led to precisely opposite results. Will his tour undermine, rather than bolster, global confidence? Read Article

Officials: Venezuela-Iran Terror Network Growing in Latin America
Jan 29, 2009—Iran is rapidly increasing its military and espionage presence throughout Latin America, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, turning the region into a major base for terrorism and subversion. Read Article

HR 375 IH (Western Hemisphere Counterterrorism and Nonproliferation Act of 2009)
January 29, 2009—Sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), 202-225-3931 or 2470 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0918 Click for Full Text of Bill

American Defense Center Luncheon
January 11, 2009—As the 111th Congress prepared to get down to work, the American Defense Center organized, on January 14, 2009, a luncheon at famous Charlie Palmer Steak, on Constitution Avenue, just a stone's throw away from the Capitol building. Attended by 40 guests from the Hill, Washington think tanks and universities, as well as representatives of major media, the luncheon featured a presentation on "China's Rising Influence in Latin America: Strategic Considerations for the United States." Read Article

Chinese control of the Panama Canal part of a global challenge for the US
January 9, 2009
Transcript
DOBBS: Israel tonight says incessant rocket attacks by Hamas led to its invasion of Gaza, but who is supplying those rockets to Hamas? We're joined now by Gordon Chang, he's the author of "The Coming Collapse of China," along with CNN military analyst, General David Grange. Read Article

Red China: Crackdown lays bare harder stance
January 2, 2009—China celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights last month by detaining prominent dissidents across the country.

Their apparent transgression was signing their names on “Charter 08”, a manifesto published on the internet on December 10 calling for all Chinese citizens inside and outside the government to embrace the “rapid establishment of a free, democratic and constitutional country” and the end of one-party authoritarian rule by the Communist party. Read Article

Embassy of Panama Newsletter - Presidential Working Visit Special Edition
January 2009—President Torrijos Visits White House, Discusses Trade Promotion Agreement with President Bush.

President George W. Bush and President Martin Torrijos met for the third time since Torrijos took office in September 2004. The leaders discussed the U.S.-Panama TPA and the Panama Canal Expansion Project. Read Article

A New Cold War?
December 2008—Western-hemispheric maneuvers.
The National Review Online invited several experts on international affairs to comment on the December 2008 visit by the Russian navy to Venezuela and the Panama Canal. Read article

Russian warships visit Cuba
December 23, 2008—MOSCOW AP -- Russian warships visited U.S. foe Cuba for the first time since the Soviet era December 18-23, the Russian Navy said.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and two support ships from a squadron that has been on a lengthy visit to Latin America put in at Havana on December 18 for a five-day stay, navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said. Read article

Radiation Scanners Installed at Panama Seaports
December 15, 2008—Radiation scanners are now operating at two major seaports in Panama to help prevent the illicit transfer of radiological or nuclear-weapon materials, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration said Friday (see GSN, Feb. 12, 2007). Read article

Russian ships to visit Venezuela; naval exercises possible
September 9, 2008—(CNN) -- Russia announced Monday it might hold joint military maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean, and the United States said it is scrapping a once ballyhooed deal with Moscow on nuclear technology. Read article

East Confronts West in Latin America
July 24, 2008—While the United States remains deeply focused on its adventure in Iraq, new security challenges are emerging in other parts of the world. One of the most intriguing is in Ecuador, a nation of 14 million on the Pacific shoulder of South America that has rarely figured in global politics. Read article

Panama Says No to U.S. Military Base
July 4, 2008—PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama has ruled out hosting a U.S. military base to replace one in Ecuador which is being reclaimed by the Quito government, a senior Panamanian official said on Friday. Read article

Lawmakers Say Computers Hacked By Chinese
June 11, 2008—(AP) Two House members said Wednesday their Capitol Hill computers, containing information about political dissidents from around the world, have been hacked by sources apparently working out of China.

Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf says four of his computers were hacked. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith says two of his computers were compromised in December 2006 and March 2007. Read article

Rising US concerns about China's naval ambitions
In an April 25 article in The Washington Times, Bill Gertz reported that senior US military commanders had expressed their concerns about China's military build-up in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Read article

Panama Canal Receives Statement of Qualifications From Several Consortia Vying to Design and Build New Locks
November 16, 2007—PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 16, 2007 – In what will be the largest contract under the Panama Canal’s Expansion Program – to design and build the new locks – the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) received statements of qualifications yesterday from the four consortia vying for the job. Read article

From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine
May 6, 2007—The kidneys fail first. Then the central nervous system begins to misfire. Paralysis spreads, making breathing difficult, then often impossible without assistance. In the end, most victims die. Read article

Cooperation Between DEA, Coast Guard and the Government of Panama Results in Record Maritime Cocaine Seizure
March 21, 2007—The partnership of the U.S. and Panama governments in the War on Drugs and international crime has once more demonstrated to be fruitful and strong. The DEA, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Government of Panama seized a record 42,845 pounds of cocaine off the coast of Panama on March 20th, 2007, as a part of the Operation Panama Express. Read article

Venezuela Spending on Arms Soars to World’s Top Ranks
February 25, 2007—CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s arms spending has climbed to more than $4 billion in the past two years, transforming the nation into Latin America’s largest weapons buyer and placing it ahead of other major purchasers in international arms markets like Pakistan and Iran. Read article

Taiwan Embassy in Panama Sees Growing Pro-Beijing Presence
On his recent fact-finding mission to Panama, American Defense Center Executive Director Thomas Cromwell (center) met with Tomas Ping-fu Hou, Taiwan’s ambassador to Panama (right) and David Hsu, the Taiwan embassy's economic counselor (left). The embassy staff expressed their awareness of mainland China's growing role in Panama and Latin America, where Beijing has established commercial offices to court these governments with paid visits and aid. Read article

Canal Authority Fears Lack of Security Could Invite Terrorist Attack
Dr. Stanley Muschett Ibarra, manager of the Executive Administration of the Panama Canal Authority (left), and Teresa Arosanmena, who is in charge of International Communications for the canal authority (center), welcomed Thomas Cromwell for a friendly chat about canal operations and security. They recognized that the canal is virtually unprotected now and agree it could be severely damaged by a terrorist attack, such as blowing up the Miraflores locks. As for the waterway's future, when the Center's executive director raised the issue of funding the planned $8 billion expansion, they declined to discuss whether it would involve a foreign source of financing.

American Defense Center Pledges Support to Pass H.C.R. 9
Representatives of the American Defense Center recently met with U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) to pledge his organization's ongoing support for the congressman's efforts to protect the Panama Canal.

In the past six months, the Center collected 96,200 signed petitions from citizens in 41 states and delivered them to Capitol Hill and The White House demanding the United States re-establish a military presence in the Canal Zone to defend the strategic waterway.

Many of the petitions went to U.S. Rep. John M. McHugh (R-NY), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Total Force, urging him to move Congressman Goode's legislation, H. Con. Res. 9, out of committee to the floor for a vote.

The bill calls for the President to "negotiate a new base rights agreement with the Government of Panama to permit stationing U.S. forces in Panama and to ensure that the Panama Canal remains open, secure, and neutral."

A return of U.S. troops to the American-built military facilities in Panama is allowed under the terms of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal (known as the "Neutrality Treaty").

Panama Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Canal Expansion Plan in Referendum
PANAMA CITY, Panama Voters overwhelmingly approved the largest modernization plan in the 92-year history of the Panama Canal, backing a $5.25 billion (€4.15 billion) expansion that will allow the world's largest ships to squeeze through the shortcut between the seas. Read Article

Chinese hack into White House network
November 6, 2006—Chinese hackers have penetrated the White House computer network on multiple occasions, and obtained e-mails between government officials, a senior US official told the Financial Times. Read Article

China Cited as N. Korea Supplier
October 31, 2006—China helped North Korea develop nuclear weapons and in the past year increased its support to Pyongyang, rather than pressing the regime to halt nuclear arms and missile activities, according to a congressional report. Read Article

China's plan to win without fighting is nothing new
September 11, 2006—On June 19, the Daily of the People's Liberation Army (China) reported that "in the past few days" the Seventh (!) Symposium on Sun Tzu's "Art of War" was held.

The report said: "Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' advocates winning 'without fighting'." Read Article

Pentagon Finds China Fortifying Its Long-Range Military Arsenal
May 24, 2006—China's military buildup is increasingly aimed at projecting power far beyond its shores into the western Pacific to be able to interdict U.S. aircraft carriers and other nations' military forces, according to a Pentagon report released yesterday that outlines continued concerns over China's rising strategic influence in Asia. Read Article

China Could Use Howard As Air Base
November 19, 2005—The only question remaining regarding China's plan to submit a bid to buy the mothballed Howard Air Force Base from the Panamanian government on Nov. 25 is whether continued use of the facility as an air base is acceptable under the conditions of sale. Read Article

Exclusive!
July 7, 2003— Interview with Gen. John Abizaid, outgoing commander of the U.S. Central Command, whose responsibilities include Afghanistan and Iraq. Read Article

Balboa Port Expansion
Investments of over US $1.5 billion in Panama's ports over the next eight years will more than double the country's port capacity, the ministry of commerce announced in a statement. Read Article