PANAMA CITY, Panama—A Chinese cultural center on the outskirts of Panama City was busy with people coming and going on a Wednesday afternoon in March, a reminder of China’s long history in the region.
The first Chinese immigrants arrived in Panama in 1854 to help build the railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Groups of Chinese continued to migrate to Panama in the 1800s and to help with large constructions projects, including the Panama Canal.
Today, the concern from President Donald Trump and some other policy leaders is that China’s influence in the region has extended far beyond culture and is aimed at “increasing Chinese government presence” in the Latin American country, according to Victoria Coates, vice president of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation.
During his…
