Panama President José Raúl Mulino said he will not discuss control of the Panama Canal with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his upcoming visit.

During a weekly press conference, Mr. Mulino said any conversation about which entity controls the Panama Canal is closed. 

“I cannot negotiate and much less open a process of negotiation on the canal. That is sealed,” he said. “The canal belongs to Panama.”

Mr. Mulino’s comments come after President Trump claimed in his inaugural address that China had taken control of the Panama Canal. In his speech, Mr. Trump threatened to “take back” the canal, arguing it was a security risk and that U.S. ships were being overcharged. 

Panama vehemently denied Mr. Trump’s claims and opened an extensive audit into the Hong Kong-based port company C.K. Hutchison, which operates two ports on either side of the Panama Canal. 

Mr. Mulino added that Panama would wait for the results of the audit before it takes any action on Chinese influence over the canal.

“This is not a country that takes away and breaks laws,” he said. “If I do that because they are Chinese companies or take away a concession just like that because someone asked me to, that is not the climate we want to project as a country to foreign investors.”

The Panama Canal is officially operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous organization overseen by the Panamanian government. 

Still, Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio contend that Chinese influence in Panama threatens U.S. national security. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Rubio argued that Beijing could order C.K. Hutchison to shut down its ports, cutting off access to U.S. ships.

During his remarks this week, Mr. Mulino asserted that his government was not aware of any foreign military presence in the canal.

“I have received absolutely no information from the U.S. Embassy in Panama,” Mr. Mulino said. “Nor from the secretary of state, with whom we work together on migration issues, about the alleged military presence of another country in the canal.”

Mr. Rubio is expected to leave for a tour of Central America on Friday, visiting Coast Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Panama. While some experts predicted the Panama Canal to be front-and-center during Mr. Rubio’s visit to Panama, immigration and drug trafficking are also likely to be discussed. 

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.