Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama this week in a high-profile visit that underscores renewed U.S. interest in the Panama Canal, following BlackRock's $19 billion deal to acquire strategic port assets from Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings — now under review by China.
In the wake of renewed focus on the Panama Canal and President Donald Trump's stated national interests, BlackRock made a surprise announcement on March 5: a deal with Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings to acquire its two ports in Panama, along with a global network of 40 other port facilities.
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John Mills ✉
Col. John Mills, ret., served 33 years in the Army and also as a senior civilian in government and at national security-related think tanks. He is the former director of cybersecurity policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.