Hong Kong's CK Hutchison seeks Chinese investor to join Panama Ports deal

A Hong Kong conglomerate that’s selling ports at the Panama Canal says it may seek a Chinese investor to join a consortium of buyers

HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong conglomerate that's selling ports at the Panama Canal said Monday it may seek a Chinese investor to join a consortium of buyers, a move that could please Beijing but bring more U.S. scrutiny to the geopolitically fraught deal.

CK Hutchison Holdings’ initial plan to sell port assets in dozens of countries to a group that includes U.S. investment firm BlackRock Inc. pleased President Donald Trump, who has alleged that China interferes with the critical shipping lane’s operations in Panama. However, they apparently angered Beijing and drew a review from Chinese anti-monopoly authorities.

A Beijing-backed newspaper posted scathing commentaries about the deal, with one describing it as a betrayal of all Chinese. Beijing’s offices overseeing Hong Kong affairs have reposted some of these commentaries, widely seen as an indication of Chinese leaders’ stance.

A Hutchison subsidiary has operated ports at both ends of the Panama Canal since 1997.

After months of uncertainty brought by tensions between Washington and Beijing, Hutchison said in a statement that the exclusive negotiations period with the consortium has expired.

However, it added “the Group remains in discussions with members of the consortium with a view to inviting major strategic investor from the PRC to join as a significant member of the consortium,” referring to the People’s Republic of China.

It said they needed to change the membership of the consortium and the structure of the transaction for the deal to be able to pass reviews by “all relevant authorities."

The awkward position Hutchison found itself in for months highlights the challenges Hong Kong business elites face in navigating Beijing’s expectations of national loyalty, especially when relations between China and the United States are strained. Hong Kong has overhauled its electoral system to ensure the city is run by “patriots.”

CK Hutchison is owned by the family of Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing.

It announced March 4 that it would sell all its shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium that also includes BlackRock subsidiary Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the Mediterranean Shipping Company.

In May, Hutchinson co-managing director, Dominic Lai told shareholders that Terminal Investment was the main investor. Its parent company is led by Italian shipping scion Diego Aponte, whose family reportedly has a longstanding relationship with Li’s.

The initial deal, valued at nearly $23 billion including $5 billion in debt, would have given the consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the canal. That agreement also required approval from Panama’s government.

The deadline for their exclusive negotiation period ended on July 27.