China says it "regrets" Panama's decision to pull out of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), accusing the United States of using "pressure and coercion to smear and undermine" the project, a massive infrastructure initiative aimed at expanding Beijing's clout overseas. On 6 February, Panama confirmed it had withdrawn from the BRI, following threats made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Chinese influence on the Panama Canal. Since winning the US election in November, President Trump has refused to rule out using force to seize the canal, built by Washington over a century ago and later handed over to Panama.
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00:00China firmly opposes the United States' use of coercive means to undermine and undermine the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
00:12China is deeply sorry that the eight-party agreement is no longer on the agenda.
00:18The Belt and Road Initiative is an initiative for economic cooperation,
00:21and more than 150 countries, including more than 20 Latin American countries, are willing to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.