Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said Beijing was ready to deepen cooperation with Panama City and that third countries should not influence their bilateral ties.

“China has always maintained that China-Panama relations are not directed against any third party and should not be interfered with by any third party,” Wang said, according to a foreign ministry read-out on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks while meeting with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha on the sidelines of a high-level United Nations Security Council meeting in New York.

The meeting took place as the two countries continue to navigate their most significant rift since establishing ties, driven by a dispute over the operation of ports in the Panama Canal. The matter has drawn pressure from Washington.

Beijing’s top diplomat also said China was “willing to work with Panama to uphold the original aspirations of establishing diplomatic relations, deepen pragmatic cooperation, eliminate external interference, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations”.

Martinez-Acha told Wang that Panama was willing to work with China to resolve differences through dialogue and build solid trust, according to the read-out.