Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama officials that Chinese influence over the Panama Canal must be curbed or the U.S. will take retaliatory actions, the State Department said Sunday. Why it matters: Rubio's warning to Panama President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha is another pressure point on the country since President Trump said he intended to regain control of the Panama Canal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Panama’s president in a face-to-face meeting that the Central American ally must reduce alleged Chinese influence over the Panama Canal or the Trump administration will take “measures necessary” to do so.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Panama’s president Sunday as America’s top diplomat as President Trump increases pressure on Washington’s neighbors and allies.