By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-26 11:52:05 | Updated at 2025-03-29 13:45:39
3 days ago
Beijing’s top offices for Hong Kong affairs have for the third time signalled their wrath at CK Hutchison over its Panama ports deal by reposting a critical article from Ta Kung Pao which warned businesses that disregard national interests will eventually “destroy their own foundations”.
The posts by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the central government’s liaison office in the city on Wednesday came hours after media reports emerged that CK Hutchison Holdings was set to finalise plans to sell its overseas port operations to a consortium led by US firm BlackRock by April 2.
The article, published by pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao on Wednesday, was the third about Hutchison’s port deal the Beijing offices have reposted in full in the past two weeks, moves seen as an indirect way for the central government to pressure Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s company into reconsidering the sale.
In the news story, headlined “Business practices that disregard national interests will ultimately destroy their own foundations”, the unnamed reporter suggested that CK Hutchison sold the port operation under US coercion and described the country’s action as “short-sighted” and “fuelling the flames of hegemony”.
The reporter quoted Hong Kong lawmakers, district councillors, economists and business associations in his article. They called on the companies involved not to be stubborn but to face the United States’ pressure with confidence and to stand on the right side of history.
He said Hong Kong businesses were participants in the nation’s reform and the beneficiaries of the country’s stable development.
