The Panama Canal Authority chief dismissed President-elect Trump’s claims that China is controlling the trade route and criticized his comments about fees. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales told The Wall

The canal executive said China doesn’t control route and U.S. ships can’t get better rates than others.

For weeks, Donald Trump has been stating his intention to take control of the Panama Canal, a critical 51-mile long waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Gordon Chang, expert on U.S.-China relations, joined “Forbes Newsroom” to talk about Trump’s recent comments calling on the U.S. to reclaim control of the Panama Canal.

Hundreds of Panamanians marched on Thursday to mark the anniversary of a deadly uprising against U.S. control of the Panama Canal in 1964, with some protesters burning an effigy of President-elect Donald Trump who has threatened to retake the vital global waterway.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

The leader of the Panama Canal Authority denied President-elect Donald Trump’s claims that China is controlling the vital trade route and said Trump’s suggestion that U.S. ships get preferential rates “will lead to chaos.

Panama rejected suggestions of Chinese influence over its canal and dismissed threats of possible US military action on January 7, after President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out force to regain control of the strategic waterway.