Panama opens embassy in Beijing, as leader voices support for ‘one-China’ principle
President Juan Carlos Varela realises his ‘dream’ to visit China, as he and President Xi Jinping prepare for talks on Friday
Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela voiced his support for the “one-China” principle on Thursday as the country opened its first embassy in Beijing, five months after it ditched Taiwan and established diplomatic ties with the mainland.
Varela, who is on a weeklong visit to China, is expected to meet President Xi Jinping on Friday, when the two will witness the signing of about 20 agreements.
He said that he and Xi had agreed to initiate political dialogue and discuss issues such as cooperation on tourism, justice, trade and maritime logistics.
“I believe that safeguarding the ‘one China’ principle is one of the decisions that will bring benefits to the people I serve,” he said.
In June, Panama announced that it was breaking ties with Taiwan to establish full diplomatic relations with China, the second-largest user of the Panama Canal.