U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth isn’t satisfied with merely killing alleged drug-running skiffs in the Caribbean or Eastern Pacific. He wants to save the Panama Canal from China. “We are deterring China’s influence around the world, not to mention the Panama Canal, where we are freeing that canal from malign Chinese influence, ensuring that American ships can sail freely,” he proclaimed. He made these remarks during a speech at a defense industry conference in Indiana, [reported TASS](https://tass.com/world/2042889.