Part 5/8:
China has already established port facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal, which raises alarms for U.S. policymakers. Notably, as General Laura Richardson observed during a helicopter tour over the Canal Zone, the presence of dual-use facilities indicates that the implications of these investments transcend commercial interests. In times of military conflict, the ability for China to potentially control or disrupt traffic through the canal poses a serious concern for the U.S. and global trade routes.