China lodges protests over monument demolition in Panama

BEIJING -- China strongly deplores the demolition of a monument to China's contributions to the Panama Canal by a local government in Panama and has lodged protests with the Panamanian side, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.

China urges the Panamanian side to thoroughly investigate the matter, promptly correct the wrong acts of the relevant local government, and eliminate the adverse effects in a timely manner, Lin told a daily news briefing.

According to media reports, the monument was torn down over the weekend by order of local authorities who said it had structural damage that posed a risk.

Noting that the friendly exchanges between the people of China and Panama are time-honored, Lin said that the monument stood as a witness and memorial to the time-honored friendship between China and Panama, and to the tremendous contribution of Chinese workers who traveled across the oceans to Panama in the 19th century to help build the Twin Ocean Railway and the Panama Canal, some even paid the ultimate price during the construction.

Lin added that the monument is also a recognition of the integration of the Chinese into local communities, and the forced demolition is a seriously egregious move in nature.

"It gravely hurts the feelings of the extensive Chinese community in Panama, and goes against the overall momentum of China-Panama friendship," he said.

China has noted that the forced demolition has triggered indignation in Panama, Lin said, adding that Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino publicly condemned the move. "The presidential office has ordered the immediate reconstruction of the monument on the original site," he said.

Lin stressed that China has asked Panama to get to the bottom of this matter, rectify the local government's wrongdoing and undo the negative impact as quickly as possible.