Panama Canal will remain Panamanian and open to all nations, says official

The Panama Canal will remain in Panamanian hands, and open to commerce from all countries, according to the administrator of the waterway, who rejected claims by president-elect Donald Trump that the US should take it over. Ricaurte Và¡squez denied Trump's claims that China was controlling the canal's operations, and said making exceptions to current rules concerning its operation would lead to "chaos". He said Chinese companies operating in the ports on either end of the canal were part of a Hong Kong consortium that won a bidding process in 1997. He added that US and Taiwanese companies are operating other…