United States Ambassador to the U.K. Warren Stephens warned that China has been making moves that amount to “political coercion” through use of maritime power.
In a statement after President Donald J. Trump’s envoy spoke to the International Maritime Organization Council (IMO), Stephens sounded the alarm over the communist nation’s efforts to use ports, vessels and supply chains as “instruments of geopolitical leverage,” Fox News reported.
Honored to present my credentials today as the U.S. Permanent Representative to @IMOHQ on behalf of @POTUS @RealDonaldTrump. I look forward to working with fellow member states to strengthen maritime security and uphold freedom of navigation worldwide. Thank you,… pic.twitter.com/kqSsWB8htX
— Ambassador Warren Stephens (@USAmbUK) July 7, 2026
“I spoke about a challenge that we cannot afford to ignore: China’s systematic effort to use maritime power as an instrument of political coercion,” he said in a post to Truth Social following the speech.
“Beijing has pursued an aggressive strategy of acquiring port concessions and infrastructure around the world — not simply for commercial gain, but to extend its strategic reach and weaponize that access against sovereign nations,” he added.
The ambassador told the IMP that the U.S. is “not a passive observer of maritime affairs” and is a “cornerstone of the global maritime economy.”
“Our Maritime Transportation System supports $5.4 trillion in economic activity each year and nearly 30 million jobs. As one of the world’s top five exporters and importers, and the fourth largest ship-owning country, America has a profound stake in a rules-based maritime order. That is why the United States has been — and will remain — a leading contributor to this organization: through our Coast Guard officers, our technical experts, our financial contributions, and our leadership in IMO committees and working groups. We are proud of that record, and we intend to build on it,” Stephens said in his remarks.
Stephens’ boss spoke at the NATO gathering in Ankara, Turkey, where he again emphasized the importance of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, the world’s largest island and an area of great strategic importance that’s under the control of Denmark.
“Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States. And it’s surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships,” Trump said, adding that the island “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” for the sake of global security.
“They wouldn’t go along with it,” Trump said of the European country. “And with all the money we spend to help them with Russia. And we don’t have to spend any money. We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe because, as you probably noticed, Europe is a very different place than it was 20 years ago. A lot different.”
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it, I can tell you,” Trump told reporters in January, adding, “You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled; it’s true, they thought that was a great move.”
.@POTUS: “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.” pic.twitter.com/suxvDQfmUm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 5, 2026
“President Trump has made restoring American maritime leadership a national priority,” Ambassador Stephens told the IMO.
“The evidence is clear and growing,” he said. “China currently builds more than half of the world’s ships. It dominates the production of ship-to-shore cranes and shipping containers.”
“Stephens cited Panama as a recent example, pointing to a ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court that found CK Hutchison’s port concessions at the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals unconstitutional. The terminals sit at opposite ends of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most strategically important trade corridors,” Fox News reported.
“What happened to Panama is a warning to every nation in this room,” he said. “When a country allows a foreign power or its proxies to control its ports, it does not simply accept a commercial arrangement,” adding, “It accepts a vulnerability.”
While Stephens told the IMO that the U.S. will continue to provide resources and expertise as a leader, he warned about taking the “rules-based maritime” order “for granted.”
“A free and open ocean is not guaranteed,” the ambassador said. “It must be defended.”
“The IMO exists to promote safe, secure, and efficient shipping on clean oceans. It is a forum built on the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms guaranteed to all nations — not to any single power that seeks to dominate them,” Stephens said.
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