Editing Foreign relations of Taiwan (section)

====Panama====
{{Main|China–Panama relations|Panama–Taiwan relations}}

On 13 June 2017, the government of [[Panama]] switched, breaking all ties with the ROC. Panamanians studying in Taiwan were given the choice of returning to Panama within 30 days or continuing their studies in China. Panama was motivated by promises of multibillion-dollar investments. The shift of recognition began with a letter sent in 2015 to the Chinese government that, according to [[Isabel Saint Malo]], Panama's vice president, was titled "Panama wants to make ties with China". The contents of the letter have been kept confidential, as well as the reasons why it was sent. It has also been kept confidential who delivered the letter and assisted in the switchover process, a person described only as "a distinguished member of the Chinese community living in Panama".

The US ambassador to Panama, [[John D. Feeley]], said that he had asked [[List of heads of state of Panama|Panamanian President]] [[Juan Carlos Varela]] about the switchover in 2016 but Varela lied to him, saying that there were no plans to make the switchover. Feeley also said that Varela didn't tell him the truth until one hour before the nationwide announcement.

Others questioned why the Panamanian government continues to use equipment donated by Taiwan. The Panamanian government initially gave no reason, later saying that one reason was because "China is the second largest user of the Panama Canal" and President Varela said it was because he "couldn't accept it anymore" and "that's what every responsible leader would do". The Panamanian government officially said that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China and that the switchover was to comply with the one-China policy. The ROC government said that Panama was its "number one ally" and that it would not participate in Beijing's checkbook diplomacy. The Taiwanese government complained that Panama maliciously hid the switchover process until the last moment.

A Panamanian government agency later said that the switchover was because of Taiwanese president [[Tsai Ing-wen]]'s violations and lack of regard to the 1992 consensus regarding China, Taiwan and the One-china policy. Panamanian newspaper La Estrella questioned the reasons Varela initially gave for the switchover, like "China has the world's largest population and the 2nd largest economy and user of the Panama Canal"; La Estrella called Varela's actions contradictory and said that the reasons Varela gave were the reality Panama has lived under for decades, so those couldn't be regarded as valid reasons for the switchover. The same newspaper also says that China's plans in Latin America convince Latin American nations easily, with apparent benefits in the short term but with dependency on China in the long term and that China is silently invading other countries and Latin America in general.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=GESE – La Estrella de Panamá|title=Panamá, ¿una franquicia china?|url=https://www.laestrella.com.pa/internacional/america/180718/china-panama-franquicia|website=La Estrella de Panamá|access-date=19 December 2019|archive-date=19 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219224140/https://www.laestrella.com.pa/internacional/america/180718/china-panama-franquicia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Panamá espera jugosas inversiones de China|url=http://elsiglo.com.pa/panama/panama-espera-jugosas-inversiones-china/24016355|website=El Siglo|access-date=24 August 2018|archive-date=24 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824034402/http://elsiglo.com.pa/panama/panama-espera-jugosas-inversiones-china/24016355|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=China, una agenda ambiciosa|url=https://m.prensa.com/opinion/China-agenda-ambiciosa_0_4812268806.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824034511/https://m.prensa.com/opinion/China-agenda-ambiciosa_0_4812268806.html|archive-date=24 August 2018|access-date=24 August 2018}}</ref>

In the first year of diplomatic relations, 19 treaties were signed, including a Free Trade Treaty. Varela said that its main purpose was to allow Chinese nationals to easily invest in Panama. Controversies over the sudden switchover included lack of due process, unusually high levels of confidentiality, and the fact that a few weeks before the switchover, Taiwan had donated medical equipment to Panama. In 2018, the first flight from Beijing to Panama by Air China landed at [[Tocumen International Airport]], with a technical stop in Houston. Varela called it a milestone in Panamanian aviation. Due to this new route, the Panamanian ministry of tourism expected at least 40,000 Chinese tourist visits per year. "History and socioeconomic reality" were later cited as reasons for the switchover. Varela said that the move was backed by diplomatic relationships dating from 1912 and that the move strengthened the existing relationships, despite the fact that those relationships were with the ROC, not the PRC. As a result, Panama City was almost immediately added to China's list of officially approved tourist destinations.<ref>{{cite web|date=5 April 2018|title=Aterriza el primer vuelo de Air China en Panamá &#124; La Prensa Panamá|url=https://www.prensa.com/economia/Aterriza-primer-Air-China-Panama_0_5001249854.html|website=www.prensa.com|access-date=29 January 2020|archive-date=29 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129131357/https://www.prensa.com/economia/Aterriza-primer-Air-China-Panama_0_5001249854.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=GESE-La Estrella de Panamá|title=Air China inaugura vuelo Beijing-Houston-Panamá|url=https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/180323/air-china-vuelo-beijing-inaugura|website=La Estrella de Panamá|access-date=19 December 2019|archive-date=19 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219224139/https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/180323/air-china-vuelo-beijing-inaugura|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Panama cuts ties with Taiwan in favour of China|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40256499|access-date=13 June 2017|archive-date=19 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619035643/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40256499|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=17 February 2018|title=Conoce la posible ruta y estaciones del tren Panamá-Chiriquí|url=https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/Conoce-posible-ruta-estaciones-Panama-Chiriqui_0_4966003387.html|website=TVN|access-date=24 June 2018|archive-date=25 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625021614/https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/Conoce-posible-ruta-estaciones-Panama-Chiriqui_0_4966003387.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The CCP government has offered the [[Panameñista Party]]-led government a free feasibility study for the planned 4th set of locks in the Panama Canal to gain a competitive advantage in bids for choosing the company to build the 4th set of locks, not to mention plans for a 1,200 hectare industrial park on the Pacific coast and a 4-hectare campus in Amador near the Biomuseo to house the PRC embassy in Panama. There are also fears that Panama could turn into a conflict zone between the US and the PRC, due to Panama's strategic location.