The transfer of 43 global ports by CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (hereinafter referred to as "CK Hutchison"), controlled by the Li Ka - shing family, has continued to attract strong attention. Relevant websites have successively reposted articles questioning the CK Hutchison port transaction. After these reposts, the related topic once reached the top of the hot search on a social media platform.
These 43 ports are worth $22.8 billion. CK Hutchison announced earlier this month that it had reached a preliminary agreement with a consortium led by BlackRock of the United States to sell 80% of the assets of its Hutchison Ports Holdings to the consortium, transferring 43 ports and supporting logistics networks in 23 countries, including the Balboa and Cristobal ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. CK Hutchison retained its port operations in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. According to media reports in Hong Kong, the value of the sold assets is $22.8 billion, and the group is expected to receive more than $19 billion in cash proceeds. A US media outlet said that this deal seems to mark CK Hutchison's withdrawal from international port operations, and the company had been pressured by the United States to divest its Panama port business.
Lu法兰, the co - managing director of CK Hutchison Group, previously emphasized that the transaction was purely commercial. However, some articles have continuously raised questions. One article stated that Trump and the US side did not regard this deal as an "ordinary business act". They directly intervened and manipulated it unscrupulously, using it as a means to pursue global hegemony. The article cited netizens' views, saying that the Panama Canal is a vital shipping artery in the world, with 6% of global maritime trade passing through it, and Chinese merchant ships account for 21% of the freight volume. It is a core passage for China's trade with Latin America and the Caribbean. After the Panama Canal is "Americanized" and "politicized", the United States will surely use it for political purposes and promote its own political agenda, and China's shipping trade there will be subject to the United States.
Another article started with five consecutive questions addressed to CK Hutchison, including "In the face of major issues of right and wrong, how should the entrepreneurs involved make choices and where should they lead their enterprises?" The article said that "great entrepreneurs are never cold - blooded profit - seekers but passionate and patriotic people". It also stated at the end that if entrepreneurs fail to recognize the true nature of US politicians who "want both money and to cause harm", and choose to dance with them and act against the trend, they may make a "big deal" and earn a lot of money for a while, but ultimately they will have no future and will bear the infamy of history.
The above two articles were also reposted on another relevant website. Another article published on the 16th pointed out that behind this controversy, it not only reflects the complex game between corporate strategies and national interests in the context of globalization but also exposes the lack of national awareness and strategic determination of some Hong Kong enterprises.
The most attention - grabbing part of this transaction is the transfer of the Balboa and Cristobal ports on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Panama. According to reports, Hutchison obtained a 25 - year operating right for these two ports in 1997, and the franchise was extended to 2047 in 2021. Data shows that these two ports served 39% of the container ships in the Panama Canal last year.
The Panama Canal is 82 kilometers long, crossing Central America, and about 14,000 ships pass through it every year. The United States is currently the largest user of the Panama Canal, accounting for about 73% of the total volume of container exports and imports. Meanwhile, from October 2023 to September 2024, China accounted for 21.4% of the cargo transportation volume of the Panama Canal, second only to the United States.
Trump has repeatedly advocated that the United States should regain control of the canal and its surrounding areas, citing reasons such as the threat of China's influence and the high fees for US ships using the canal. US media recently reported that the White House has formally requested the Pentagon to provide "reliable military options" to ensure the United States' "unrestricted" access to the Panama Canal.
An analysis by an institute pointed out that the ownership and operation rights of ports mean "major strategic issues". An expert from a US think - tank said that the geopolitical tensions with an economic nature between the United States and China are intensifying. In the event of a "supply - chain war", information on goods passing through key waterways "will be very useful".
An article on a website said that the relevant transaction reflects the United States' attempt to contain China's development through various means.
A commentator reminded that although the issue of the two ports in the Panama Canal is very sensitive, it should not be forgotten that the assets in this transaction also involve ports of CK Hutchison in more than 20 other countries, which clearly goes beyond the scope of a "purely corporate act".
A US media outlet reported that Hutchison Ports under CK Hutchison has 30,000 employees and operates 53 ports and terminals in 24 countries. Its ports are distributed in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Americas. Some netizens said that through this transaction, BlackRock will control about 10.4% of the global container terminal throughput and become one of the world's top three port operators. It is very likely to cooperate with the US policy of suppressing China. Some netizens also pointed out that the United States may use this deal as a "model" to initiate port mergers and acquisitions globally through political pressure, control more key ports in the world, and use "long - arm jurisdiction" to implement suppression measures, leaving Chinese ships with "nowhere to dock".
Recently, media reported that the US government plans to charge fees for Chinese ships docking at US ports. The US Trade Representative's Office proposed in February to charge a maximum of $1.5 million per Chinese - made ship. Many media described that this proposed measure has brought a "huge shock" to the international shipping industry and the maritime supply chain.
An article on a Hong Kong website stated that once US capital takes over the port business sold by CK Hutchison, as long as the United States gives an order to charge special fees for Chinese ships, all Chinese merchant ships will have to bear the cost. The article believes that although CK Hutchison's transaction seems to be just a business deal on the surface, it is actually a major issue of right and wrong.
