Detentions of ⁠Panama-flagged ⁠vessels by China ⁠that followed a Panamanian court ruling ​raise serious concerns, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‌said on Thursday. The U.S. ‌Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said last week it ⁠was ⁠closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels ​in China that appears tied to a Panama court ruling against Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. “China’s recent actions ​against Panama-flagged vessels raise serious concerns about the ⁠use of ⁠economic tools to ⁠undermine ​the rule of law in Panama, a sovereign nation and ​vital partner ⁠for global commerce,” Rubio said in a statement.

Full report : China’s Detentions of Panama-Flagged Vessels Raise Concerns, Rubio Says.