Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that Panama’s Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional the operation of two Panamanian ports by CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based international conglomerate company operating some 43 overseas ports. CK Hutchison’s share price plummeted following the ruling.
Following US President Trump’s earlier claims this year that the Panama Canal was under Chinese control and his vow to reclaim it, ports Panama Canal are at the center of geopolitical competition. CK Hutchison Holdings later announced it would sell its 43 overseas port operations, including the two Panama Canal ports, to an international consortium comprised of U.S. asset management giant BlackRock and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), owned by the Aponte family of Italian billionaires, for US$22.8 billion. This deal sparked discontent in Beijing, and Chinese regulators subsequently launched an investigation. CK Hutchison later announced its intention to invite Chinese state-owned shipping giant China COSCO Shipping to join the consortium.
With respect to the rulings by the Panamanian Supreme Court, CK Hutchison has limited options: it can file a motion for clarification of the Supreme Court’s decision, but cannot appeal. The company may also seek international arbitration. The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized these Panama Supreme Court rulings as contrary to the laws governing Panama’s approval of the relevant franchise rights, stating that Beijing will “take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.”
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, January 30, 2026
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20260130-8232674