China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality' as CK Hutchison ports deal looms
China's foreign ministry has said it respects Panama's sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality.
Advertisement
Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that the US$23 billion deal between CK Hutchison Holdings and a consortium led by BlackRock and MSC could result in a concentration of operators that would be 'inconsistent with neutrality.'
He also reportedly said that a request from the US government to allow its ships to pass through the canal free of charge was not feasible under the waterway's current regulations.
Responding to a question about recent reports on the matter on Wednesday, Lin Jian, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Beijing had always firmly opposed economic coercion, domineering and bullying.
'On the navigation of relevant country's vessels, China will, as always, respect Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognise the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway,' Lin said.
Advertisement
'We support Panama's effort to uphold independence and firmly defend its lawful rights and interests as an independent sovereign country.'
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing's CK Hutchison Holdings dropped a bombshell in March by announcing the deal to sell its stakes in 43 overseas ports, including two strategic ones at the Panama Canal. CK Hutchison would earn US$19 billion from the sale.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China to stay cautious as Iran seeks help amid clashes with US, Israel: Middle East expert
Iran may look to China for weapons support amid conflicts with the US and Israel , but Beijing will remain cautious, considering strained economic ties with Tehran and its broader interest in balancing ties with Israel and other Western-aligned states in the region, according to a veteran Chinese expert on the Middle East. Advertisement In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Pan Guang, a Chinese scholar of Jewish and Middle East studies, said the conflict between Iran and Israel was unlikely to spiral into a broader war, but tit-for-tat retaliation could continue as Tehran pushes ahead with its nuclear programme, which is believed to persist despite US strikes. Tensions escalated after Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13. The US joined days later, targeting three of Iran's nuclear facilities – marking the most significant Western military action against the Islamic Republic since 1979. Iran retaliated by attacking a US military base in Qatar and striking Israel's strategic port city of Haifa, home to Chinese projects under the Belt and Road Initiative US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel this week, which has largely held despite initial violations. However, prospects for a durable truce appear dim, as Iran's core nuclear capabilities are believed to remain intact and Israel remains determined to neutralise what it sees as an existential threat. Beijing, a close partner of Tehran, is being closely watched as the conflict unfolds. On Thursday, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh joined nine of his counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's defence ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China, where he called for a bigger Chinese role in easing the conflict. Pan said Iran might seek Chinese weapons in light of its escalating tensions with Israel, drawing lessons from Pakistan's recent conflict with India.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Beijing's liaison office ‘angered' by Angel Chong's Miss Hong Kong bid, sources say
Officials from Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong were 'angered' by a young district councillor's brief attempt to compete in a beauty pageant and cautioned her political party over it, according to sources who viewed her move as falling short of the expected conduct of a public officeholder. The Post also learned that the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and the government chose to downplay the saga while resisting any investigation into whether Angel Chong Nga-ting's actions constituted misconduct so as to avoid 'renewing the public's attention' on the incident. The 24-year-old, the city's youngest district councillor, was spotted attending the first round of interviews for the Miss Hong Kong Pageant organised by broadcaster TVB on Tuesday. She announced her withdrawal a day later, saying she wanted to protect the district council's image. Chong had reportedly brought her assistant in the Sai Kung District Council along to the interview, who distributed cold drinks to reporters on site. The assistant was also seen providing Chong's contact information as a councillor to journalists. Multiple insiders from the DAB said Chong had not informed the party of her decision to join the beauty contest. 'The liaison office was angry at her move and also the party for allowing the incident to happen,' a DAB source said.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China's No 4 official joins in mourning death of Hong Kong tycoon Charles Ho
China's No 4 politician was among senior Beijing officials and other heavyweights who sent wreaths to the wake for Hong Kong tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho Tsu-kwok. Advertisement The ceremony for Ho, former chairman of the Sing Tao News Corporation who died at the age of 75 earlier this month, was held at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point on Saturday. Ho became a standing committee member of China's top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 1998 and controlled Sing Tao News before selling his shares in 2021. Wreaths were sent by Wang Huning, the fourth-most senior official in the Communist Party of China and who oversees the CPPCC, and Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, who chairs the leading work group for Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, the office itself and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also sent wreaths. Advertisement Retired central government officials, including ex-top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng, former vice-premier Liu Yandong and Liao Hui, who served as director of the HKMAO, sent flowers under their names.
