Featured image: Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Lin Jian. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China @EmbChinaPa.
The monument “was a testament to the sacrifice of thousands of Chinese workers who gave their lives in the construction of the trans-isthmian railway and the Panama Canal,” said the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Following the demolition of the Monument to the 150th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Chinese in Panama, carried out on the night of Saturday, December 27, the government of the People’s Republic of China, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requested that Panama conduct a thorough investigation and repair the wrongful acts committed by local authorities.
At a press conference held on Monday, December 29, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the destruction of the monument—located at the Bridge of the Americas—as an act of an “extremely heinous nature.”
Lin emphasized that China has lodged solemn diplomatic representations with the Panamanian state, expressing deep dissatisfaction over an incident that profoundly hurts the sensitivities of the Chinese community. “This monument was not just stone; it was testimony to the sacrifice of thousands of Chinese workers who gave their lives in the construction of the trans-isthmian railway and the Panama Canal,” he stated.
In line with this position, the Chinese Embassy in Panama also expressed its indignation at the demolition. Ambassador Xu Xueyuan recounted on social media that she personally went to the site after receiving the alert and found the structure already destroyed. According to her account, Chinese citizens attempted to protect the remains of the monument but were prevented from doing so.
“The measure not only brutally trampled on the collective feelings of the 300,000 Chinese citizens and people of Chinese descent in Panama but also seriously damaged the friendly feelings of the Chinese people toward the Panamanian people,” the Embassy said in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Xueyuan, the monument—now “smashed to pieces”—signified “171 years of life, blood, and dedication of the Chinese community.” In the same vein, she condemned the fact that a symbol of friendship between the two nations had been reduced to nothing, asking at the same time: “Why?”
The mayor of Arraiján, Stefany Peñalba, justified the decision as part of a plan to “recover public spaces” in order to promote business and tourism, presenting designs that exclude the monument. While the municipal government claimed that the 20-year concession had expired, the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Association of Panama clarified that formal communication had been attempted since early 2024 to renew the permit.
China’s Embassy also offered financial support for the renovation of the park. Nevertheless, municipal authorities remained silent in the face of these proposals and proceeded with the demolition without prior notice.
Geopolitics and external interference
An analysis by Sun Yanfeng, an expert from the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, suggests that the forces behind the decision were not purely domestic. Sun noted that the demolition reflects “US pressure” on certain Panamanian authorities.
According to the expert, dismantling the monument during a holiday period indicates an attempt by Arraiján authorities to avoid public scrutiny while yielding to external interests seeking to limit China’s cultural presence in Panama, especially in strategic areas near the Panama Canal.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino described the demolition as an act of barbarism. As a reparative measure, Mulino stated in a post on X that he is “coordinating with the Minister of Culture, Maruja Herrera, to explore the possibility of rebuilding the Chinese monument,” adding that “this does not set aside the legal responsibility of the mayor.”
He further stressed that “an investigation should be initiated immediately” in response to what he called “an unforgivable act of irrationality.”
The Chinese legacy
The monument, originally financed by the Chinese community and the Chinese government in 2004, honors the thousands of workers who arrived nearly two centuries ago to build the trans-isthmian railway and the Canal. “That community is traditional in our country, with generations firmly established, and it deserves full respect,” Mulino emphasized.
Venezuelan statement on US arms sales to Taiwan
On Monday, through an official statement, Venezuela expressed its strong condemnation of the recent announcement by the United States that the US would transfer a record-breaking US $11 billion in weapons to the Chinese province of Taiwan.
The statement reiterated that the unilateral action constitutes a serious interference in China’s internal affairs and a flagrant violation of international commitments undertaken by Washington, infringing upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and undermining regional stability.
The announcement by the US administration has been repudiated by the Chinese government, which considers it an attack on the sovereignty and integrity of the People’s Republic and a violation of the US’s pledge to the “One China” principle.
Chinese deterrence exercises
On Monday, China’s Eastern Theater Command launched large-scale military exercises near Taiwan aimed at “testing the troops’ ability to carry out precision strikes against key targets,” according to command spokesperson Shi Yi.
Analysts have questioned the belligerent actions of the United States in Asia and compared them with what they describe as the responsible and restrained posture of Venezuela’s allies—Russia and China—in the face of US threats against Venezuela, which, in recent months, has been threatened with military attacks and the assassination of its president, Nicolás Maduro. The United States maintains the largest military deployment in the region in the last six decades, with approximately 18,000 troops.
Featured image: Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Lin Jian. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China @EmbChinaPa.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/CB/SL
Cameron Baillie is an award-winning journalist, editor, and researcher. He won and was shortlisted for awards across Britain and Ireland. He is Editor-in-Chief of New Sociological Perspectives graduate journal and Commissioning Editor at The Student Intifada newsletter. He spent the first half of 2025 living, working, and writing in Ecuador. He does news translation and proofreading work with The Orinoco Tribune.
