The Central American nation has been caught in a superpower rivalry between the United States and China, who accuse each other of seeking to control the Panama Canal, a vital trade link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Panama's Javier Martinez-Acha that Beijing would work with his government to "deepen pragmatic cooperation (and) eliminate external interference", during talks on the sidelines of a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday.

"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 Beijing's readout, without naming the United States.

In a move that Beijing has opposed, Panama took control of two of the canal's ports previously operated by Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison following a Panamanian Supreme Court decision in January.

The United States accused China in March of detaining Panama-flagged ships in its ports as retaliation -- claims Beijing denied.

"China hopes that Panama will earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Wang told Martinez-Acha on Tuesday.