The verdict is in: China has been denied an important foothold in the Western Hemisphere. A recent ruling by Panamanian courts provides the Trump administration with another victory in its efforts to oust the Middle Kingdom from America’s backyard.

On Jan. 30, the Panamanian courts ruled that a concession to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, was unconstitutional. Panama and PPC first signed the two contracts to operate the ports at Balboa and Cristobal at each end of the canal in 1997. 

In 2021, they were renewed, seemingly with little fanfare or forethought. This was a mistake. Much has changed since 1997, both for the world and America’s place in it.

In 1997, the United States stood alone as the sole superpower. China, while rising, remained poor. Many experts, both inside and outside of the government, believed that China’s economic liberalization would lead to a more tolerant, pro-Western Beijing. Instead, the opposite has happened. As Chinese power has grown, so have its aggressive appetites and........

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