China's Beachhead at Panama Canal

Insight Magazine ^ | Oct. 31, 2005 | J. Michael Waller

[Old Seadog]

We bought the land from Clombia, we built the canal. Why did we give it up?

[Squantos]

FYI Ping & BTTT....

[megatherium]

If terrorists or anyone destroyed the locks on the canal, draining Lake Gatun, it would take two years to refill the lake (from rain) -- after the locks were repaired. Many of our largest military ships are too large for the locks anyway; they have to sail around South America. So the canal is of less relevance militarily to us nowadays.

The Panamanians have sovereignty over the canal. They are intelligent enough to outsource the operation of the canal to a Chinese firm; just as many American companies are doing. I for one am not that concerned by this. Indeed, I've read that the Panamanians have taken strong measures to protect the rain forests around the canal -- not because they're tree-huggers (although the rain forests there are pristine and therefore are priceless ecological treasures), but because the rain forests generate the rain the canal requires to operate. (The canal is a perpetual motion machine: the water from the lake lifts the ship in the locks; and hydroelectric power operates the locks. The canal is an astonishing piece of engineering: all electric in 1914, and operated by beautifully ergonomic controls in the form of a working scale model of the canal!)

I should mention my interest in this subject: my parents grew up in Balboa. I'm glad the canal is still in good condition. Many Zonians were concerned that the Panamanians couldn't be trusted to operate the canal. Fortunately, the Panamanians have done a good job maintaining their primary resource.

[Alberta's Child]

Carter gets a lot of unwarranted grief for this, in my opinion. The reality is that even as early as the mid-1970s it was becoming clear that the Panama Canal was becoming obsolete. It serves very little purpose from a military standpoint because our large warships are too large to fit through the lock system (one factor in the U.S. naval policy of maintaining separate Atlantic and Pacific fleets).

From a commercial standpoint, the Panama Canal has lost a lot of appeal because the canal cannot accommodate the current generation of container ships and oil tankers, either.

China's interest in the Canal is likely tied to manufacturing interests in northern China, which are facing increasing competition from other parts of Asia (notably India, Malaysia, and Indonesia) that lie further to the south and west. The geographic location of these nations makes them more attractive centers of manufacturing than China because they are closer to the largest consumer markets in the world -- Western Europe and the Northeastern U.S. -- via a better water route (the Suez Canal, which can handle larger ships and more of them because it is a flat canal with no lock system).

[snowrip]

"Chinese, illegal aliens at the time, helped build the first Transcontinental Railroad. Since the purpose of the Railroad was to open a trade route to China, it seems to have worked out. The Canal and New Orleans came to dominate trade."

Huh?

"Air freight is coming along now, so that the canal isn't much of a choke point."

You entirely miss the point of the article. How long would it take to "air freight" an SSBN? Or a tanker-load of crude? Or a couple of amphibious assault ships with a few divisions of marines and armor? The canal is an absolute choke point for US strategic and military interests... all the Chinese have to do is scuttle a couple of ships at each end, and it would close the canal for months.

[OldFriend]

While it was not a good thing that Carter allowed the Canal to revert back to the Panamanians, you are correct in saying that the Canal is now of less strategic importance.

[taxed2death]

"China has absolutely zero power projection ability outside of Asia. If we wanted to take the canal by force, we could do it in a matter of hours."

Finally, something we can agree on. :)

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who signed a 99 year lease with Panama for the Canal Zone.

[webheart]

Of course we probably have a contingency plan for just such an event and most likely would have Spec-Ops teams attempt to seize the locks before they could be destroyed.

Just like when we stopped Saddam Hussein from setting all those oil wells on fire during the first Gulf War.< /sarc >

[massgopguy]

Think there'll be Sunburn missles at Balboa?

[GOP_1900AD]

Might want to check your date. Oct 31, 2005? Obviously the article was from before Jan 20 2001.

[RightWhale]

You entirely miss the point of the article

And the other hundred threads on this very same topic. If we ever find ourselves back in 1900 it will have been over for a long time.

[Whitewasher]

LOL. I love the Communist apologists on FR. /s

[gaijin]

Thank you, Jimmy Carter. And thanks for trusting North Korea, too...

[WestVirginiaRebel]

They do have a point-economically the canal is largely obsolete.

Which makes me wonder what the Chinese are doing down there...

[Arizona Carolyn]

Jimmy Carter hates the USA so he gave it away.

[Americanexpat]

This article was written some time ago. Balladares hasn't been president for better six years.


There is no way that the Chinese have any missiles set up in Panama. Don't believe the US military have no way of knowing if they do.

Bush comes to Panama next week. Lots of demonstrations planned for his visit. I look for them to turn violent.

When his father visited Panama after the invasion someone threw a grenade. Hope security is tight.

[winodog]

Could the reps have stopped the Panama canal giveaway?

[shrinkermd]

The Panama Canal cannot be defended by anyone including the Chinese. It could be disabled for months with some kerosene, fertilizer and blasting caps.

The "yellow peril" may exist, but it probably it is in Vancouver, B.C.

[Whitewasher]

Precisely the point.