Panama Canal to be run by Panama and open to trade from all nations, says official

• Who owns the Panama Canal and what does Trump want with it?

Canal’s administrator denies president-elect Donald Trump’s assertions of Chinese meddling and that the US should take it over

The Panama Canal will remain in Panamanian hands, and open to commerce from all countries, according to the administrator of the waterway, who rejected claims by president-elect Donald Trump that the US should take it over.

Ricaurte Vásquez denied Trump’s claims that China was controlling the canal’s operations, and said making exceptions to current rules concerning its operation would lead to “chaos”.