The Panama Canal Authority chief dismissed President-elect Trump’s claims that China is controlling the trade route and criticized his comments about fees. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales told The Wall

The canal executive said China doesn’t control route and U.S. ships can’t get better rates than others.

For weeks, Donald Trump has been stating his intention to take control of the Panama Canal, a critical 51-mile long waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

US president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his expansionist agenda, citing China as a security threat and refusing to rule out military action or economic pressure to reclaim the Panama Canal and acquire Greenland from Denmark.

The leader of the Panama Canal Authority denied President-elect Donald Trump’s claims that China is controlling the vital trade route and said Trump’s suggestion that U.S. ships get preferential rates “will lead to chaos.

Panama rejected suggestions of Chinese influence over its canal and dismissed threats of possible US military action on January 7, after President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out force to regain control of the strategic waterway.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

After US President-elect Donald Trump repeated inaccurate claims that China controls the Panama Canal, Panama has again reaffirmed its sovereignty over the key Atlantic-Pacific waterway.Panama reiterated on Tuesday that the sovereignty of its eponymous ship canal was not up for discussion after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule