A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that the international community is quite clear about who is seeking to seize the Panama Canal, and relevant remarks by the U.S. side regarding Panama's Supreme Court's ruling against CK Hutchison reveal the cold war mentality and ideological bias of the United States.

According to media reports, Panama's Supreme Court last week annulled the contract granted to Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison for operating the Panama terminals. Following the ruling, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was "encouraged" by this decision, according to reports.

China will firmly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies, spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing. 

The international community is well aware of who is undermining international law under the guise of the rule of law, he noted.

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China vows to protect Chinese firm's rights after Panama annuls port contract

(With input from Xinhua)