Chinese companies operate ports on both ends of the Panama Canal and invest in mining in Greenland. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Donald Trump says the U.S. needs control of Greenland and the Panama Canal "for national security." Here's why both places are so important.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

Authorities of Panama and Greenland have repeatedly said they won't hand over any territory to Trump, with Panama's president declaring that the canal "is going to stay in our hands forever," and Denmark's prime minister insisting "Greenland is not for sale."

The first Trump administration opted for a confrontational stance towards many countries in the region, including Peru. This ultimately pushed it to deepen its alliance with China. Beijing saw the opportunity, through favourable trade deals and investments, to position itself as a more reliable and beneficial partner than Washington.

President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he wouldn’t rule out using “military force” to make Greenland and the Panama Canal US territories. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two,” the incoming president told a reporter asking about the use of military force or economic coercion to acquire the territories.

For weeks, Donald Trump has been stating his intention to take control of the Panama Canal, a critical 51-mile long waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

President-elect Trump on Tuesday refused to commit to not using the U.S. military to gain control of the Panama Canal, after vowing last month to take over operation of the key passageway. Trump

The U.S. Navy, in anticipation of a war in East Asia, would use the canal to move ships and submarines from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Gordon Chang, expert on U.S.-China relations, joined “Forbes Newsroom” to talk about Trump’s recent comments calling on the U.S. to reclaim control of the Panama Canal.

President-elect Donald Trump wouldn't rule out military or economic coercion, saying the U.S. needs to stop China. Also a factor: climate change.