Chinese-chartered merchant ship Cosco Shipping Panama crosses the new Cocoli Locks during the inauguration of the Panama Canal expansion in Panama City on June 26, 2016. Rodrigo Arangua/AFP via Getty Images
China has brushed off a report that it is threatening to block a high-profile port deal involving two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, unless a Chinese state-owned enterprise is given a stake in the agreement.
At a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was asked about a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which cited unnamed sources claiming that Beijing is pressuring parties in a $22.8 billion sale of international ports to include COSCO, China’s state-owned shipping company, as a stakeholder.
