SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian believes CK Hutchison's port sale will be prolonged due to US-China tensions. He noted that a decade ago, such a deal would have been routine, but political interests now overshadow commercial decisions. Assoc Prof Fu sees the transaction as a threat to China's national interests and a potential bargaining chip in US-China negotiations. He opined that while Panama's ports may be sold to BlackRock, those in Belt and Road countries are unlikely to be relinquished due to their strategic importance to China's security and economy.
