By Simon Lewis and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Marco Rubio arrives in Latin America this weekend on his first foreign trip as Donald Trump's secretary of state, he'll find a region reeling from the new administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.

In Sola's testimony, he said: "The United States is not without options in addressing the growing presence of China and Chinese companies in Panama and throughout the Americas. Nor are we without options as they relate to the continued viability of the Canal." He also said it was crucial to protect the independence of the Panama Canal Authority.

Panama has owned and administered the Panama Canal for nearly three decades. President Trump wants to change that to counter growing Chinese influence in Latin America.

After President Donald Trump’s pledge to regain control of the Panama Canal, lawmakers in Congress are taking a closer look at the key shipping channel.

US senators heard sharply different analyses about Chinese influence over the Panama Canal on Wednesday, with some experts suggesting solutions ranging from enhanced trade partnerships to military intervention to regain control of the strategic waterway.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday expressed alarm at China's influence on the Panama Canal, which President Donald Trump has vowed the United States would take back. "Chinese companies are building a bridge across the canal – at a slow pace so as to take nearly a decade – and control container ports at either end,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first official trip abroad next week to Central America, including a stop in Panama, which President Donald Trump has riled with talk of trying to reclaim the Panama Canal.

Republicans hoping to thwart Beijing’s influence in Latin America are urging the Panamanian government to cut ties with Chinese entities.

President Donald Trump's suggestion of the U.S. taking control of the Panama Canal has a legal basis partly due to potential treaty violations involving Chinese activities in Panama.

Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal, the world's second busiest interoceanic waterway.

President Donald Trump Thursday speculated Democrats and diversity initiatives shared blame for the deaths of 67 after the Washington, D.C., midair collision.