China's detentions of Panama-flagged vessels raise concerns, Rubio says

By Katharine Jackson and Michael Martina

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) – Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that 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 port operator CK Hutchison.

“China’s recent actions against Panama-flagged vessels raise serious concerns about the