ALBAWABA- China has escalated maritime pressure by detaining and intensifying inspections of Panama-flagged vessels in its ports, in what is widely seen as retaliation after Panama canceled a key canal port concession linked to a Hong Kong–based firm. The dispute centers on the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals at opposite ends of the Panama Canal, a vital artery handling roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade. In January 2026, Panama’s Supreme ...