U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Panama’s president that the country must reduce Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area or face potential retaliation from the Trump administration.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama officials that Chinese influence over the Panama Canal must be curbed or the U.S. will take retaliatory actions, the State Department said Sunday. Why it matters: Rubio's warning to Panama President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha is another pressure point on the country since President Trump said he intended to regain control of the Panama Canal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and toured the Panama Canal, which President Donald Trump wants to retake control.

President José Mulino said Panama's sovereignty over the world's second busiest waterway is not up for discussion.