(Reuters) - Some U.S. lawmakers and officials are touting a nearly half-century-old treaty between the United States and Panama to justify the Trump administration's threat to reclaim the Panama Canal - provided it can show the strategic waterway's operation is under threat.

President Donald Trump's suggestion of the U.S. taking control of the Panama Canal has a legal basis partly due to potential treaty violations involving Chinese activities in Panama.

Senators on both sides of the aisle raised concerns over how Chinese aggression and influence on the Panama Canal could have major implications on U.S. trade and national security during a hearing in a key Senate committee on Tuesday morning.