Just in case you have missed details about the Panama Canal takeover, here is a possible plot: the Chinese People's Liberation Army, acting through its Hong Kong agents, Hutchison Whampoa and chairman Li Ka-shing, hides nuclear weapons in the canal. Then it issues an ultimatum to Washington - surrender or else.
Faced with nuclear blackmail, the US quickly concedes defeat, leaving China free to extract whatever concessions it chooses.
At least, that 'pretty chilling' scenario is how one particularly conservative American senator sees the future, and he wants something done about it right now.
A White House spokesman has summed up this tale with a single word - 'silly'. But despite several official statements which call the entire story ludicrous, some agitated US politicians won't let go. Just yesterday, one man who really should know better, former US secretary of defence Caspar Weinberger, again warned a congressional committee about the alleged threat.
China would not 'pass up a chance to acquire a major foothold . . . especially if it can be done with little cost or risk', he said.
The whole thing is so bizarre that the temptation exists to dismiss it out of hand. Several US officials have testified no evidence supports claims that Mr Li acts for Beijing, or that China has any interest in controlling the canal, or that Hutchison could affect its management even if it tried. Hutchison will operate container terminals, without any say in actual operations.