CK Hutchison seeks Chinese strategic partner for port deal
CK Hutchison is looking to strike a deal with a Chinese investor for a $23 billion sale agreement covering a wide network of port assets.
Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison has confirmed that it is in talks to bring a "significant strategic investor" from China into the bidding consortium for its $22.8 billion global ports business.
This move comes after the expiration of a 145-day exclusivity agreement with the original buyer group and amid increasing regulatory scrutiny from Beijing.
The original consortium, led by U.S. investment giant BlackRock and the Aponte family’s Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), had been engaged in exclusive negotiations to acquire CK Hutchison’s international port assets. However, with talks coming to an end over the weekend, Chinese state-owned enterprise COSCO has emerged as a potential new participant in the bidding group—signaling a possible geopolitical shift in the proposed deal. COSCO already controls one of the largest global portfolios of port terminals.
The development comes just as Chinese authorities announced a national security review into the proposed sale. Rising U.S.-China tensions have heightened concerns over a leading domestic port operator potentially falling—at least partly—under foreign, particularly American, control.
CK Hutchison’s port division operates 52 terminals across 25 countries, including major facilities in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, making it one of the world’s largest port operators.
If the deal goes through, COSCO’s involvement could ease regulatory hurdles in China. However, it may also spark new concerns in the U.S. and EU, where national security issues are increasingly influencing the conversation around foreign investment.
