Donald Trump has begun his second term as president by ramping up pressure on Panama – threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal and accusing the country of ceding control of the strategically critical waterway to a US rival: China.

President Trump is wrong when he says China controls the Panama Canal. But the U.S. rival does have influence there, and the administration is moving to counter it.

China’s combination of presence, influence, and compromising relationships within Panama’s elite gives it numerous opportunities to exploit. The solution is transparency and good governance.

US senators heard sharply different analyses about Chinese influence over the Panama Canal on Wednesday, with some experts suggesting solutions ranging from enhanced trade partnerships to military intervention to regain control of the strategic waterway.

A black, massive Hong Kong-registered ship inched its way through the churning waters of the Panama Canal — guided by tugboats stern and aft, and sweating Panamanians hoisting yellow ropes to latch onto the ship's higher levels.

Whether the U.S. or Panama own the Panama Canal, one of the largest routes for ship traffic in the world still faces horrible drought that will slow traffic through it, or shutter in completely from time to time.