Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to Panama as part of his first international trip in his new role. President Trump made it clear he wants the U.S. to control the heavily used Panama Canal, a move the Panamanian government strongly opposes.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make clear to Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino in an upcoming visit that the Panama Canal is a strategic asset and cannot be under Chinese control, a senior U.S. official told reporters on Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he had "zero doubt" that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the U.S. and that Washington intends to address what it sees as a national security threat.