In March, the number of Panama-flagged ships detained in China surged compared to January and February. According to the Tokyo MOU, 179 vessels were detained in March, with 123 occurring in Chinese ports. Of these, 91 were Panamanian-flagged, compared to only 32 under other flags. This means that over half of all vessels detained in the Asia-Pacific region last month were Panamanian. The detentions were not limited to foreign carriers; several Chinese operators of Panamanian-flagged ships were also detained. This spike follows the transfer of Hutchison's port assets in Panama. The U.S. has accused China of using port state control to punish Panama, a claim China has denied. It's worth noting that the 123 detentions in Chinese ports far exceed any month last year and the first two months of this year. The detained vessels included not only container ships but also tankers and bulkers.
