Trump has squeezed ChinaTrump has squeezed China in Cuba, Panama and Venezuela
The article says the Trump administration has already pressed China-linked interests in Cuba, Panama and Venezuela, and may next turn to Nicaragua if Beijing revives plans for a canal there.
It says the project would connect the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea across Nicaragua and could become another point of pressure in the US-China rivalry.
The issue matters because it touches strategic trade routes and could widen competition between Washington and Beijing in the Americas.
- Nicaragua’s canal idea has been discussed for more than a century.
- The Panama Canal remains one of the busiest maritime shortcuts on Earth.
- China’s overseas port and infrastructure activity has become a recurring issue in US strategic politics.
US-China Indo-Pacific Rivalry
China and Taiwan coast guard vessels have repeatedly faced off near the Pratas Islands, with the latest standoff showing how small maritime incidents around Taiwan can quickly become confrontations.[1][5] The episode adds to wider U.S.-China military tension across the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding patrols and Washington is reinforcing regional deterrence.[2][3] The rivalry now centers on preventing miscalculation around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and nearby sea lanes.[1][3][5] It also shapes defense planning by Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as all sides weigh coercion, sovereignty claims, and the risk of escalation.[2][3]
24 May, 07:39 AM
Taiwan and China coast guards face off near Pratas islands1 January
The United States adopts a sharper great-power competition strategy focused on China
