On June 23, 2026, at an OAS dialogue in Panama, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. and OAS observer Xie Feng rejected Panama's allegations that China improperly carried out port-state inspections on arriving ships. Xie said the charges were false, citing multiple collisions since 2026 involving Panama-flagged vessels in Chinese waters that caused deaths and missing persons. He said China, under Chinese law and relevant international conventions, has conducted port-state control inspections to protec

On June 23, 2026, at an OAS dialogue in Panama, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. and OAS observer Xie Feng rejected Panama's allegations that China improperly carried out port-state inspections on arriving ships. Xie said the charges were false, citing multiple collisions since 2026 involving Panama-flagged vessels in Chinese waters that caused deaths and missing persons. He said China, under Chinese law and relevant international conventions, has conducted port-state control inspections to protect maritime and crew safety and that inspections are not targeted at any specific country or flag. Xie urged Panama to correct the record and safeguard the lawful rights of Chinese firms.