The new Secretary of State already has said the Hong Kong-based operator of Panama Canal-adjacent ports could be a "big national security and defense problem."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Panama on his first trip abroad as the top U.S. diplomat after President

China's expanding footprint in Latin America is expected to be high on the agenda when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Panama next week on his first overseas trip since taking office, according to observers.