Beijing condemns the demolition of a monument honoring the Chinese community in Panama
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
The mainstream framing treats Beijing’s condemnation like a moral verdict, as if Panama needs China’s permission to manage its own public spaces. That instinct to defer to foreign outrage misses what’s really being tested: who gets to shape national memory and local governance in countries Beijing wants inside its orbit. A monument can honor a community without serving as a geopolitical flag.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
China has condemned the demolition of a monument honoring the Chinese community in Panama, the latest development as the Trump administration pushes for the Central American nation to distance itself from Beijing.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The mainstream framing treats Beijing’s condemnation like a moral verdict, as if Panama needs China’s permission to manage its own public spaces. That instinct to defer to foreign outrage misses what’s really being tested: who gets to shape national memory and local governance in countries Beijing wants inside its orbit.
A monument can honor a community without serving as a geopolitical flag. When China reacts this sharply, it underscores how cultural symbols are often leveraged for political influence. Panama’s leaders have to weigh not just tourism and trade, but national sovereignty and whether public decisions are being second-guessed by an outside power.
The Trump administration’s pressure is caricatured as gratuitous, yet national security and public trust are legitimate concerns in a region that matters to U.S. shipping and stability. The principle at stake is simple: Panama’s institutions should answer to Panamanians, not Beijing’s sensitivities.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.