Panama has offered free passage through the Panama Canal to U.S. Navy ships, according to a report citing a senior official in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

The offer would allow the U.S. to save between $2.5 million and $3 million each year, The Daily Wire reported.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews that China is running the Panama Canal and “we’re gonna take it back, or something very powerful’s going to happen.” He added he doesn’t think it will be necessary to deploy troops to Panama, but said the country has done something “terrible” for national security “in this part of the world.”

Trump didn’t explain that claim.

“And, you know, 70% of the signage on the Panama Canal was written in Chinese. That’s not right,” Trump said. “So, it wasn’t meant for China.”

He also said China “owns” the waterway.

“That’s not gonna happen. We’re not gonna let that happen,” Trump said. “We have national security concerns, and they wouldn’t let it happen either.”

However, Panama controls the canal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Panama Canal on Sunday. The waterway’s authority said in a news release it conveyed its intention to Rubio to “work with the U.S. Navy to optimize transit priority of U.S. Navy vessels through the Panama Canal.”

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a release Rubio told Panama President José Raúl Mulino how Trump made a “preliminary determination” that a “current position of influence and control of the Chinese Communist Party” is a threat to the canal.

Rubio also said the alleged position represents a violation of a treaty establishing the “neutrality” of the Panama Canal, Bruce said.

“Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty,” the spokesperson said.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.