Don’t make me do it: Beijing turns up pressure on CK Hutchison’s port deal
- Signals suggest Beijing still prefers a voluntary withdrawal
- China’s competition authority could use extraterritorial rules under its anti-monopoly law to veto the deal, but it must be careful not to shoot itself in the foot
- China’s state-owned port giants are unlikely to take over the deal directly, but they may still get involved by joining a consortium led by a company from a third country
Beijing is pressuring CK Hutchison to reconsider its $22.8bn global port sale, signalling strategic concerns and potentially steering the deal towards state-favoured players through regulatory and political channels
