HONG KONG (AP) \u2014 A Hong Kong conglomerate that had agreed to sell its two 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. <\/p>\n
CK Hutchison Holdings\u2019 initial plan to sell port assets<\/a> in dozens of countries to a group that includes U.S. investment firm BlackRock Inc. pleased U.S. President Donald Trump, who has alleged that China interferes<\/a> with the critical shipping lane\u2019s operations in Panama. However, the deal apparently angered Beijing and drew a review by Chinese anti-monopoly authorities. <\/p>\n After months of uncertainty brought by tensions<\/a> between Washington and Beijing, Hutchison said in a statement<\/a> Monday that the exclusive negotiations period with the consortium had expired.<\/p>\n However, it added \u201cthe 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,\u201d referring to the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/p>\n It said it needed to change the membership of the consortium and the structure of the transaction for the deal to be able to pass reviews by \u201call relevant authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n In Beijing, a Chinese official said the government had noted the announcement but did not comment directly on it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Chinese government will conduct supervision in accordance with the law, firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintain market fairness and justice,\u201d Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily briefing.<\/p>\n A Hutchison subsidiary has operated the ports of Balboa and Cristobal at both ends of the Panama Canal<\/a> since 1997.<\/p>\n The awkward position Hutchison found itself in for months highlights the challenges Hong Kong business elites face in navigating Beijing\u2019s expectations of national loyalty, especially when relations between China and the United States are strained. <\/p>\n CK Hutchison is owned by the family of Hong Kong\u2019s richest man, Li Ka-shing. <\/p>\n