"Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon?"
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
  • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street
    • Arrival and First Impressions
    • First Week
    • Training
    • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Tempo of the City
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
    • 1984 - 1986 >
      • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
      • Having a go: SDU
      • Starting a Chernobyl family
      • EOD - Don't touch anything
      • Semen Stains and the rules
    • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go? >
      • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
      • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
      • 600 Happy Meals Please!
      • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
      • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Triads
    • The Saga That Rocked Hong Kong's Legal Fraternity
    • Yip Kai-foon - No Hero
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • Blogs Greatest Hits
    • Vennells - In the Faustian Realm Page
    • A Bond Is Broken
    • The English Eccentric Lives On
    • How is democracy working for you?
    • Occupy Central - A creature void of form
    • Brave New World
    • Bob Dylan and Me.
    • Sweet Caroline - Never Seemed So Good!
    • Postmodernism - Spiraling down the sink hole.
    • Why Dad is so important.
    • Man Overboard
    • Suffer the Children
    • Tony Blair, the turd that won't flush
    • Algorithms and Robots - the changing face of work
    • Campus Warfare
    • Are We Alone?
    • There is no motive.
    • The State of Play
    • Crisis, What Crisis?
    • Milk Powder - A Test of public sentiment.
    • Hello Baldy - Free Speech.
    • THe Other Side of the Story
    • The Merry House of Windsor
    • The Utility of the Windsors
    • Civil War?
    • Big Lily - The Headscarf Hero
    • RTHK - Spinning.
    • Occupy Leaders Convicted - What Next?
    • Hypocrites
    • Hong Kong's Lady Macbeth
    • Beijing Says Enough Is Enough
    • The Gardens of Fuyang
    • Beating the Devil - under a flyover
    • Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
    • Gweilo 鬼 佬​
    • What goes around, comes around!
    • The Cobra
    • Liz Truss - A Cosplay Thatcher
    • Liz Truss trashes and crashes.
    • Hong Kong Judicary - has something gone wrong
    • Hubris, arrogance and failure.
    • Carry On Up the Khyber
    • The Unseen Hand
    • The Laptop that won't shut down
    • Legacy Media - the end is near
    • Malcolm Tucker Tribute Act
    • Journalism - Something has gone wrong?
    • Decline of the West? Maybe?
    • Canada's Killing Machine
    • English Uprising
    • South Yorkshire Police Madness
    • Deceitful BBC
    • Fair Dee Well
    • British Policing Needs A Reality Check.
    • Being a man is not a crime yet!
    • Putting Old Oak Common on the map.
    • When the winds stops blowing
    • The Long Read >
      • The Big Game
      • The Hidden Leader
      • British Policing - What's to be done?
      • How The Walls Come Down
      • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
      • New World Order - Something is going on!
      • The Post Office; Lie, Deny, Cheat, Hide & Steal
      • To Scare the Monkeys
  • Email Form Page
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
  • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street
    • Arrival and First Impressions
    • First Week
    • Training
    • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Tempo of the City
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
    • 1984 - 1986 >
      • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
      • Having a go: SDU
      • Starting a Chernobyl family
      • EOD - Don't touch anything
      • Semen Stains and the rules
    • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go? >
      • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
      • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
      • 600 Happy Meals Please!
      • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
      • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Triads
    • The Saga That Rocked Hong Kong's Legal Fraternity
    • Yip Kai-foon - No Hero
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • Blogs Greatest Hits
    • Vennells - In the Faustian Realm Page
    • A Bond Is Broken
    • The English Eccentric Lives On
    • How is democracy working for you?
    • Occupy Central - A creature void of form
    • Brave New World
    • Bob Dylan and Me.
    • Sweet Caroline - Never Seemed So Good!
    • Postmodernism - Spiraling down the sink hole.
    • Why Dad is so important.
    • Man Overboard
    • Suffer the Children
    • Tony Blair, the turd that won't flush
    • Algorithms and Robots - the changing face of work
    • Campus Warfare
    • Are We Alone?
    • There is no motive.
    • The State of Play
    • Crisis, What Crisis?
    • Milk Powder - A Test of public sentiment.
    • Hello Baldy - Free Speech.
    • THe Other Side of the Story
    • The Merry House of Windsor
    • The Utility of the Windsors
    • Civil War?
    • Big Lily - The Headscarf Hero
    • RTHK - Spinning.
    • Occupy Leaders Convicted - What Next?
    • Hypocrites
    • Hong Kong's Lady Macbeth
    • Beijing Says Enough Is Enough
    • The Gardens of Fuyang
    • Beating the Devil - under a flyover
    • Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
    • Gweilo 鬼 佬​
    • What goes around, comes around!
    • The Cobra
    • Liz Truss - A Cosplay Thatcher
    • Liz Truss trashes and crashes.
    • Hong Kong Judicary - has something gone wrong
    • Hubris, arrogance and failure.
    • Carry On Up the Khyber
    • The Unseen Hand
    • The Laptop that won't shut down
    • Legacy Media - the end is near
    • Malcolm Tucker Tribute Act
    • Journalism - Something has gone wrong?
    • Decline of the West? Maybe?
    • Canada's Killing Machine
    • English Uprising
    • South Yorkshire Police Madness
    • Deceitful BBC
    • Fair Dee Well
    • British Policing Needs A Reality Check.
    • Being a man is not a crime yet!
    • Putting Old Oak Common on the map.
    • When the winds stops blowing
    • The Long Read >
      • The Big Game
      • The Hidden Leader
      • British Policing - What's to be done?
      • How The Walls Come Down
      • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
      • New World Order - Something is going on!
      • The Post Office; Lie, Deny, Cheat, Hide & Steal
      • To Scare the Monkeys
  • Email Form Page
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Walter's Blog

"But how can you live and have no story to tell?" Fyodor Dostoevsky
Picture
Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument. 

"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you what life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill."  Hong Kong Blog Review
Sign up for email alerts
Blogs Greatest Hits
The Long Read
Hong Kong weather
History of Hong Kong Policing

1/2/2025 1 Comment

Panama, Hong Kong & Trump

Picture
"Trump's assertions are undoubtedly part of his 'bully-boy' negotiating strategy."
They say history doesn't repeat itself, but it does tend to rhyme. Could it be that Trump's attempt to regain control of the Panama Canal mirrors the Suez Canal crisis, which many believe signalled the end of the British Empire? Is Trump at risk of encountering a similar fate if he pursues this issue?

There exists a strong connection between Hong Kong and this saga. More on this later.

Some background information is necessary. The concept of a Panama Canal, a monumental feat of human engineering, dates back to 1513 when the Spanish recognised the advantages of connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. By 1534, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V commissioned a study that yielded no results.

It is said that the British explorer Francis Drake recognised the potential benefits of a canal through Panama around 1596, during the Anglo-Spanish War. According to the tale, he climbed a tree to view the Pacific Ocean. When he turned in the opposite direction, he could see the Caribbean Sea approximately 40 miles away. A canal would have saved an 8,000-mile journey, which was fraught with perilous conditions, particularly around Tierra del Fuego at the continent's southern tip. 

Sadly, Drake did not live much longer after that. On the night of 28 January 1596, he succumbed to severe dysentery. This dreadful condition and other ailments were set to delay the canal's construction for hundreds of years. 

The Scots embarked on the Darien Scheme around 1698, establishing a colony named New Edinburgh. The colony once boasted a population of approximately 2,500 before disease and drunkenness brought the project to its knees. The Spanish also intervened by besieging the colony. It is reported that only a few hundred Scots survived and returned home. 

Then came the French. Between 1881 and 1899, they commenced construction. However, malaria claimed a significant number of lives, with a death toll of around 22,000, and considerable engineering challenges hindered progress. Vast corruption did not assist matters. The ensuing fallout nearly toppled the French government. Yet, the project persisted, a testament to human determination.  

The U.S. stepped up to the plate, with President Theodore Roosevelt keen to take charge of the project. He was eager to demonstrate U.S. prowess and recognised that a canal would benefit America's emergence on the world stage. In a series of actions, he supported Panama's break from Colombia, a pivotal moment in the canal's history. On 2 November 1903, U.S. warships blockaded sea lanes to prevent potential Colombian troop movements intended to quell the rebellion in Panama. 

Panama declared independence on 3 November 1903, and the United States promptly recognised the new nation. Essentially, the U.S. established Panama to facilitate the construction of the canal. 

On 6 November, Panama's ambassador to the UN swiftly signed an agreement granting the U.S. control of the canal 'in perpetuity'. The deal limited other rights to 99 years. Does this sound familiar? 

This agreement was not well received in Panama, with the incoming government taken aback by what the ambassador had agreed to. They perceived that Colombia's control was relinquished in favour of U.S. control. This perception was destined to remain a point of contention in U.S.-Panama relations, marked by cooperation and tension over the years.

By 1904, the Americans had assumed control of the project. They eradicated the risk of malaria and constructed support facilities for the workers. The canal was opened to traffic in August 1914, costing the U.S. nearly $500 million (approximately $15.2 billion today) to complete. This sum represented five per cent of the U.S. GDP at the time.

Since then, the canal has been expanded and modernised. Fast-forward to the 1960s: Panamanians, aggrieved by U.S. control of the canal, expressed their objections vigorously, culminating in student protests. Drawing comparisons to the Suez Canal, they pointed out that the U.S. had compelled the British and French to cease their intervention in Egypt in 1956. 

Things reached a critical juncture in January 1964 when violent confrontations led to the deaths of 22 students and four American soldiers. The international reaction was swift and critical of U.S. actions. Panama severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. 

By 1974, negotiations to transfer complete control to Panama were in progress. On 31 December 1999, the Panamanians gained control, with the understanding that the canal would remain neutral. The government of Panama owns and operates the canal via the Panama Canal Authority.

Meanwhile, a Hong Kong-based company, Hutchison Whampoa, secured the rights to manage the container ports at both ends of the canal. The port operator is Panama Ports Company, part of Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, owned by Li Ka-shing. In 2021, Panama Ports Company's concession was extended by 25 years. 

Herein lies the rub for Donald Trump. He portrays CK Hutchison's involvement as evidence that China controls the canal. Yet, the Chinese government has made it clear that it has no role in running the canal. Indeed, there is no evdience to support such a claim. 

Furthermore, as the largest canal user, Trump claims that the U.S. is being overcharged. "The fees imposed by Panama are absurd," he wrote. "This complete 'rip-off' of our country will cease immediately." These statements prompted the Panamanians to audit the entire project "aimed at ensuring the efficient and transparent utilisation of public resources."

Trump's assertions are undoubtedly part of his 'bully-boy' negotiating strategy. This approach, characterised by aggressive and confrontational tactics, aims to intimidate the Panamanians into making concessions. And while he may gain some advantage, his approach ultimately undermines the U.S. ability to engage in diplomatic negotiations. 

Already wary of U.S. actions in the region, Panama became the first Latin American country to endorse China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2017. Trump's stance on the canal may further alienate the U.S. from Latin American nations, which perceive his behaviour as “neo-colonialism."

If Trump's ‘overcooked’ intervention fails, it may indicate the further decline of U.S. influence, much like the Suez crisis did for Britain.
1 Comment
L.Willms
18/3/2025 04:14:59 pm

Which POTUS coined the phrase "Speak low and carry a big stick" –

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024

    Categories

    All Festivals Hong Kong Hong Kong History Policing Politics Public Order UK USA

    RSS Feed

Home

Introduction

Contact Walter

Copyright © 2015