(Feb 7): Hong Kong has protested against Panama’s court ruling which struck down the contract granted to Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd to operate two ports near the country’s strategic canal. Last week, Panama’s top court decision voided CK Hutchison’s contract, handing a win to US President Donald Trump’s campaign to curb Chinese influence over strategic infrastructure in the Americas. “We strongly disagree with and oppose the judgment regarding the unconstitutionality of the two contracts for the continued operation of the two ports between the Panama government and CK Hutchison,” said a Facebook post from Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, citing Yau. China — the largest user of the Panama Canal after the US — cautioned earlier this week that Panama would pay a “heavy price” for yielding to what it termed American hegemony. The Panama court’s decision risks fuelling tensions between Washington and Beijing as the two sides seek to maintain a trade truce ahead of Trump’s scheduled visit to China in April.

Source: The Edge Markets February 07, 2026 08:14 UTC