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Chinese-chartered merchant ship Cosco Shipping Panama crosses the new Agua Clara Locks during the inauguration of the expansion of the Panama Canal in this file photo. China is continuing its push to displace U.S. influence in the region, and already has put parts of the Panama Canal under its control. RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images
Tensions between China and the Trump administration are not only evident in an escalating trade war. The standoff also appears to be intensifying in Central America and the Caribbean, creating a new wrinkle in an already volatile relationship.
At a moment of acutely strained relations with China, the United States sent strongly worded messages of discontent to three Central American nations. All have recently normalized their own relations with China.
