CK Hutchison will not sign a deal next week to sell its two Panama Canal-adjacent port operations to a BlackRock-led group, amid mounting pressure from Beijing. Although the final agreement was initially expected by April 2, sources say the documentation will not be signed by that date due to “obvious reasons,” but stressed that talks are ongoing and the deal is not off. The delay follows intensified criticism from Chinese authorities, including an antitrust review announcement and a wave of state-backed media commentaries condemning the sale as a betrayal of national interests. The politically sensitive deal, part of a broader $22.8 billion divestment covering 43 ports in 23 countries, had been welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump but has drawn strong backlash from Beijing.
