China Monday backed Panama President Jose Raul Mulino's assertion of his country's sovereignty over the Panama Canal against US President-elect Donald Trump's threat to regain control of it if the central American country doesn't stop charging "exorbitant prices" to US ships and naval vessels. The 82-km Panama Canal cuts across the central American nation and is the main link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. If shipping rates are not lowered "we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question, Trump told a crowd of supporters in Arizona on Sunday. His remarks prompted a quick rebuke from Mulino, who said, "every square metre" of the canal and surrounding area belongs to his country. Panama's sovereignty and independence were non-negotiable, BBC quoted Mulino as saying. Asked for her comments at a media briefing here, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning referred to Mulino's assertion of Panama's sovereignty. The Panama