Panama's President Condemns China's Reaction to Court Ruling on Ports

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino strongly rejected the statement from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, which used strong adjectives to discredit the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice that declared the contract law between the State and the Panama Ports Company unconstitutional. The company operated the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal. «Panama is a state of law and respects the decisions of the Judicial Branch, which is independent from the Central Government,» he continued. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a statement on the matter and make the corresponding decisions. Panama is a state of law and respects the decisions of the Judicial Branch, which is independent from the Central Government. (...) It reflects the total servitude and submission of the Panamanian authorities to hegemony,» denounces the body that acts as Beijing's representative in Hong Kong. «The ruling is absurd from a legal point of view, has flaws in logic, and is extremely ridiculous,» said the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, China's executive body. «The Panamanian authorities should recognize the situation and correct their course. China called the Supreme Court's ruling that annulled the concession for the Balboa and Cristóbal ports «absurd» and «extremely ridiculous». If they persist in their path and remain obstinate, they will inevitably pay a high price politically and economically!». From China, they argue that the concession «has been in force for almost 30 years, and the renewal processes were validated by the Panamanian authorities.». «The ruling (...) is complicit with evil, and it is truly shameful and pathetic.». «I energetically reject the pronouncement of the HK and Macao Affairs Office due to the CSJ ruling on the port contract,» Mulino wrote on X. In addition, they highlight the $1.8 billion investment made by the company and the generation of jobs. «I energetically reject the pronouncement of the HK and Macao Affairs Office due to the CSJ ruling on the port contract,» he warned.