,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #ca ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #bc1 #bjbe,mr4 ,schmitt 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,cotton1 ,mr4 ,marshall1 ,mrs4 ,britt1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 and ,mr4 ,ricketts7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,calling on the ,government of ,panama to expel officials and interests of the ,people's ,republic of ,china and terminate ,chinese management of key ,panamanian ports4 ,whereas the strategic location of the ,panama ,canal is vital to global trade and the security of the ,western ,hemisphere2 ,whereas ,panamanians and ,americans have invested significantly to secure the sovereignty1 stability1 and prosperity of ,panama1 including the construction1 defense1 and transfer of the ,panama ,canal1 ensuring it remains a critical asset for global commerce2 ,whereas the construction of the ,panama ,canal by the ,united ,states required more than a decade of work 7#aijd-aiad71 involved tens of thousands of workers1 and cost approximately #cge1jjj1jjj1 equivalent to more than #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj in #bjbe1 with thousands of workers losing their lives due to disease and hazardous conditions2 ,whereas the defense and operation of the ,panama ,canal during the #bjth century further demonstrated the ,united ,states' commitment1 at significant financial and human cost1 to maintaining the vital global trade route2 ,whereas the ,treaty ,concerning the ,permanent ,neutrality and ,operation of the ,panama ,canal1 signed at ,washington ,september #g1 #aigg 7commonly referred to as the ,neutrality ,treaty71 prohibits actions that undermine the canal's neutrality or threaten ,united ,states security interests and grants the ,united ,states the right to act1 unilaterally if necessary1 to defend the canal's neutrality and ensure its operational security2 ,whereas the ,neutrality ,treaty obligates ,panama and the ,united ,states to act against any threat to the neutrality or peaceful operation of the ,panama ,canal1 including undue foreign control over its infrastructure or management2 ,whereas when ,president ,carter ratified the ,neutrality ,treaty1 ,president ,carter accepted a legally binding condition to the ,treaty1 adopted by the ,united ,states ,senate1 establishing an independent right of the ,united ,states to intervene militarily1 consistent with ,united ,states constitutional processes1 to reopen or restore the operations of the ,panama ,canal1 as the ,united ,states deems necessary1 to ensure the canal remains open1 neutral1 secure1 and accessible2 ,whereas the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 through state-owned enterprises and ,chinese government-affiliated private entities1 has expanded its influence with key infrastructure projects and ports around the world1 including in ,panama1 raising concerns about undue leverage and potential threats to free and fair navigation and trade2 ,whereas the ,people's ,republic of ,china ,belt and ,road ,initiative fosters economic dependence and exerts outsized geopolitical influence through its investments2 ,whereas ,panama joined the ,belt and ,road ,initiative in ,december #bjah2 ,whereas the involvement of ,chinese government-affiliated enterprises in the construction1 management1 and maintenance of other critical infrastructure1 such as a proposed fourth bridge spanning the ,panama ,canal1 calls into question the ability of ,panama and the ,united ,states to defend the canal's neutrality and ensure its operational security2 ,whereas two major ports in ,panama1 the ports of ,balboa and ,cristobal1 are currently managed by ,chinese-affiliated entities1 such as ,hutchison ,ports1 a ,hong ,kong-based operator with significant ties to ,china's economic and political ecosystem1 threatening the sovereignty of ,panama and the security of the ,western ,hemisphere2 ,whereas the involvement of officials from the ,people's ,republic of ,china and entities that are subject to the ,national ,security ,law of the ,people's ,republic of ,china and similar laws in ,panamanian ports and infrastructure compromises international security and disrupts critical trade routes2 ,whereas the ,people's ,republic of ,china's control over portions of the infrastructure of the ,panama ,canal poses a direct threat to the national security and strategic interests of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas allowing foreign exploitation of ,panama's ports and infrastructure undermines the sacrifices made to secure ,panama's independence and the shared values between ,panama and the ,united ,states2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,panama have a long history of partnership and shared commitment to democratic governance1 sovereignty1 and the rule of law3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses profound concern about the presence and influence of the ,people's ,republic of ,china in ,panamanian ports and infrastructure1 particularly in facilities of strategic significance such as the ports of ,balboa and ,cristobal2 7#b7 calls upon the ,government of ,panama to-- 7,a7 reaffirm its commitment to the permanent neutrality of the ,panama ,canal as defined by the ,neutrality ,treaty by seeking management structures that ensure unbiased1 equitable access for vessels of all nations2 7,b7 review and terminate agreements allowing ,chinese state-owned enterprises or ,china-based so-called private entities to manage strategic infrastructure1 including the ports of ,balboa and ,cristobal2 7,c7 expel all officials from the ,people's ,republic of ,china operating within ,panamanian ports and other critical infrastructure projects2 and 7,d7 reaffirm its commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of ,panama and protecting the security of the ,western ,hemisphere by seeking partnerships that align with democratic values and mutual respect2 7#c7 urges the ,government of the ,united ,states to-- 7,a7 leverage provisions in the ,neutrality ,treaty1 including ,condition 7#a71 to monitor and address threats to the neutrality of the ,panama ,canal1 acting decisively to counter undue foreign influence2 7,b7 provide technical1 financial1 and strategic support to ,panama as it seeks to assert sovereignty over its critical infrastructure and reduce its dependence on entities affiliated with the ,people's ,republic of ,china2 7,c7 strengthen collaboration with ,panama and other allies in the region to promote transparent and sustainable investments in infrastructure projects2 7,d7 establish a framework to restore operational control of the ,panama ,canal to a collaborative partnership between the ,united ,states and ,panama1 which should honor the spirit of the ,neutrality ,treaty1 respect ,panama's sovereignty1 and incorporate ,united ,states expertise and resources to benefit both nations2 7,e7 offer significant ,united ,states investments to modernize ,panama's canal infrastructure and provide alternatives to ,chinese-funded projects2 and 7,f7 develop a joint ,united ,states-,panama task force to oversee canal security and operations1 enhancing regional security and ensuring freedom of navigation2 7#d7 encourages ,panama and other regional and global allies to monitor and counter efforts by authoritarian regimes to exploit economic vulnerabilities to gain strategic leverage in the ,western ,hemisphere2 and 7#e7 directs that the ,secretary of the ,senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the ,president of the ,united ,states1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,president of ,panama1 and the ,national ,assembly of ,panama4