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PANAMA CITY (AP) 鈥� U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday focused again on China’s presence in the western hemisphere, one day after calling the world power a threat to the Panama Canal.

Speaking at a regional security conference, Hegseth said that China-based companies were controlling land and critical infrastructure in strategic sectors.

鈥淐hina鈥檚 military has too large of a presence in the western hemisphere,鈥� Hegseth said. 鈥淢ake no mistake, Beijing is investing and operating in this region for military advantage and unfair economic gain.鈥�

He called on the region鈥檚 governments to work together to deter China and address threats posed by transnational drug cartels and mass immigration.

Hegseth was speaking a day after meeting Panama’s President Jos茅 Ra煤l Mulino and touring the Panama Canal. The two countries agreed to step up security coordination and appeared to say they would work toward a way to pay back fees that U.S. warships pay to pass through the Panama Canal.

The visit comes amid tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 repeated assertions that the U.S. is being overcharged to use the Panama Canal and that China has influence over its operations 鈥� allegations that Panama has denied.

Shortly after Hegseth and Mulino met, the Chinese Embassy in Panama criticized the U.S. government in a statement on X, saying Washington had used 鈥渂lackmail鈥� to further its own interests and that who Panama carries out business with is a 鈥渟overeign decision of Panama … and something the U.S. doesn鈥檛 have the right to interfere in.鈥�

China’s concern was provoked by Hong Kong-based consortium CK Hutchison holding a 25-year lease on ports at either end of the canal. The Panamanian government announced that lease was being audited and late Monday concluded that there were irregularities, which CK Hutchison denied in a statement Wednesday.

CK Hutchison had already announced that it would be selling its controlling stake in the ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control once the sale is complete.