Trump Criticizes Panama Canal Handover, Claims China Seeks Control

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States should never have handed over control of the Panama Canal to Panama, accusing the Central American nation of sharply increasing transit fees and alleging that China is attempting to gain influence over the strategic waterway.

Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, Trump criticised the US decision to transfer control of the canal under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties and said Washington would not allow Beijing to take over the route.

"The Panama Canal, so we gave it away. The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. And then they raised it again twice, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?" Trump said.

"And now China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay? And that was not part of the script because I don't really have a script because this thing doesn't work," he added.

The Panama Canal was transferred to Panama under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, with the country assuming full control of the waterway in 1999.

During the same event, Trump also renewed his criticism of the US Supreme Court's handling of birthright citizenship, while praising recent rulings that he said strengthened presidential authority and reinforced a merit-based system.

Trump said he believed the court had erred on birthright citizenship but expressed confidence that the issue would eventually be resolved.

"We'll take care of the birthright citizenship because that was not meant for rich people from other countries. It was meant for the babies of slaves. If you look at it, it was a month after the Civil War ended that it went through. That's because it was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for rich people from China. They came over in Gulfstreams," Trump said.

"I believe, no, I know they got it wrong, but that's okay," he added.

Trump also welcomed a recent Supreme Court ruling that he said restored significant powers to the presidency.

On June 29, the US Supreme Court expanded the President's authority to remove leaders of executive branch agencies, overturning a 91-year-old precedent that had limited the President's power to dismiss Senate-confirmed officials.

"You know, a little while ago, not in yesterday's decisions where we actually had a good day except for birthright citizenship, we had something that gives back tremendous power to the President of the United States, and we won that, I think, 6 to 3," he said.

"It was taken away from another Roosevelt. It was taken away from FDR in 1932. For almost a hundred years, that's been up for grabs. It was called the Slaughter case, and a lot of people didn't think it would ever be won. We won it two days ago in the Supreme Court," he added.

"It gives power back to the president at a time when the president really needs power. It was the most important decision of all of them, I think," he added.