Medora, North Dakota - President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that China "is trying" to take control of the Panama Canal and promised that his administration won't let that happen.
"He built the Panama Canal," Trump said of President Theodore Roosevelt during an address at the former president's library dedication ceremony. "It was the most expensive project, to this day, if you bring the dollars forward, ever built."
"We gave it away," Trump continued, having rambled for several minutes about those who died building the Panama Canal. "The first thing they did? They raised the prices of the ships by four times… all they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years."
"How stupid was that? And now, China is trying to take over the Panama Canal – and we're not going to let that happen, okay?"
Trump's latest comments on the Panama Canal comes after he reportedly ordered the Pentagon last year to investigate options to take military control of the waterway, which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean.
The incident caused a diplomatic row, as Panama's government urged Washington to exercise "respectful" ties and vowed to defend its territory and sovereignty.
In March of this year, the US accused China of detaining Panama-flagged ships in retaliation against the takeover by Panamanian authorities of two ports which had previously been under the control of Chinese companies.
Concerns surrounding Chinese influence over the Panama Canal have continued, China's Embassy in Panama addressing the issue in a statement last week.
"China has always respected Panama's sovereignty over the canal and opposes interference by external forces in canal affairs," the statement read.
"On issues related to canal ports, China consistently advocates resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, while firmly safeguarding national interests and the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises."