Who owns the panama canal?

Answer 1

The Panama Canal has been managed and operated by the Panama Canal Authority since the transfer from the US on December 31,1999.

The Panama Canal Authority is an Independent State Institution of the Republic of Panama, therefore the Panama Canal belongs to the State (i.e. all the Panamanian citizens). That is why on 2006 a Referendum was held to decide if the people wanted the Canal enlarged, it was decided to go ahead with the expansion.

The Canal is not managed by the Chinese, it is managed and operated by the Panamanian.

Answer 2

OK, first and foremost the Panama Canal is owned by the Republic of Panama. The Panama Canal Authority is the government agency that runs the Canal, and you can do some research about it if you want on www.pancanal.com (the official Panama Canal website).

Surely the Panama Canal was built by the United States, more specifically the US Army Corps of Engineers were in charge of the construction from 1903 to 1914, when it opened for commercial and military traffic. The Panama Canal Treaty of 1903 was the one that allowed the US to build the Canal, and it also gave the US the rights to the land surrounding the Canal (5 miles on each side to be precise - except Panama City and Colon City) where they will act as if they were soverign soil of the US.

All of that was overturned when in 1977 US President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian General Omar Torrijos signed the 1977 Panama Canal Treaties (Carter - Torrijos Treaties) where the Panama Canal changed to Panamanian hands on December 31, 1999 at noon. Until then the Panama Canal Commission (a US government agency assigned to the Secretary of Defence) ran the Panama Canal.

Presently the Chinese government doesn't have any control or say about the Panama Canal. The Ports on both sides of the Panama Canal are ran by a Hong Kong corporation called Hutchison Whampoa, where most of their officers (if you check their website) are from the British Hong Kong days, and the company is not a Chinese government company.

Finally for the expansion project the US Government didn't have to issue any kind of formal permission. Tell Mr. Panama Expertos to pick up a copy of the treaties and have a thorough reading before labeling himself an expert.

Sorry if I'm rude, but I get riled up when I see ignorant comments like that about my country. I mean there have been universities and centers for higher learning all over the world for over 2 centuries by now. I just don't get why people still act if all the world's intelligence is concentrated in the northern hemisphere.

If you want to read more about the Panama Canal pick up a copy of The Path Between the Seas at Barnes & Noble. It's a good book to read and learn about Panama and the Canal.

Answer 3

The Republic of Panama does own the canal on paper. However, what many people fail to understand is the US still has a large hand in the development and general status of the canal. Did you know after the people of Panama voted to widen the canal before they could begin the US had to add their seal of approval. That's according to the terms of the agreement they have with the US. Or that the approval to widen the canal is costing Panama a bundle in the terms that have been written in the pending free trade agreement the US tacted on to their approval of the canal widening. Does Panama own the canal? Does the master own the puppet or the puppet own the master?

For other information of Panama see http://www.panamaexpertos.com/ there are a couple articles there on the trade agreement and the canal approval.

Answer 4

The Panama Canal is owned by using Panama. China is working the two ends of the Canal. would not that make you sleep properly at night? maximum of our ships of the line or too vast to bypass in the process the Canal now.

Answer 5

The government of Panama owns it. It is managed by a Chinese company. Recently the people of Panama approved a referendum to enlarge the Canal.

Answer 6

The Republic of Panama

Answer 7

Basically,the Chinese.