Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison could find it hard to secure compensation from Panamanian authorities over their decision to nullify its port operation, legal experts have said, noting that the arbitral tribunal it engaged lacks enforcement power and the issuance of damages may depend on the country’s own courts. The conglomerate, led by Hong Kong tycoon…
Panama is aiming to mitigate geopolitical risks and respond to US pressure by adopting a multi-operator model for its strategic canal after nullifying the concession granted to Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison to operate two of the ports, analysts have said. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino was reported to have vowed on Thursday that his country…
This aerial view shows the Taiwanese cargo ship Yang Ming sailing out of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side in Panama City on October 6, 2025. Martin Bernetti | Afp | Getty Images A simmering dispute over two container ports at either end of the Panama Canal risks becoming a geopolitical flashpoint between the…
Pressure from the United States remains a major challenge in CK Hutchison Holdings’ arbitration against Panama and it may take years to resolve the dispute, legal and political experts have said of the continuing controversy over the Hong Kong conglomorate’s ports. The company, led by billionaire Li Ka-shing’s family, said on Wednesday that its subsidiary,…
Beijing has slammed a Panamanian Supreme Court ruling that nullified Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings’ right to operate two major ports at the country’s canal as “legally unfounded”, warning the Central American nation that it could pay a heavy political and economic price. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a commentary on…
Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, risks losing its rights to operate major ports at both ends of the Panama Canal after the country’s Supreme Court ruled its subsidiary’s contract unconstitutional. The decision was announced in a statement posted on the official social media account of the Panama Judiciary on Thursday…
China’s influence in Latin America may be significantly tested by the US revival of the Monroe Doctrine, as Washington’s attack on Venezuela is set to have a chilling effect on the region’s engagement with Beijing, analysts warn. In a surprise precision operation on Saturday, the US military struck Venezuela, captured its leader Nicolas Maduro and…
Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s US$22.8 billion global ports sale hung in the balance at the end of 2025, nearly 10 months after it was first announced, as a veteran political commentator said the most expensive terminal acquisition in history was unlikely to come to fruition amid geopolitical tensions. What began as a strategic exit…
A series of consequential political developments and controversies made 2025 a significant year for Hong Kong. Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s company CK Hutchison Holdings was caught in the crossfire of US-China tensions over a deal to sell its Panama Canal ports, which was eventually put on hold under pressure from Beijing. Locally, the city…
The State Department said last month that it would “restrict US visas for Central American nationals … intentionally acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party” and who “knowingly direct, authorise, fund, provide significant support to, or carry out activities that undermine the rule of law in Central America”. “The United States, under the guise…