China Bristles After Panama Court Strips Hong Kong Firm of Canal Port Operations

A truck drives past the port gate of Panama Ports Company (PPC) after Panama’s Supreme Court annulled key port contracts held by the Hong Kong‑based CK Hutchison–owned firm, leaving the future of some Panama Canal operations uncertain, in Panama City, Panama, January 30, 2026. CK Hutchison says Panama Canal port workers have been removed after court-ordered takeover. REUTERS/Aris Martinez
A truck drives past the port gate of Panama Ports Company (PPC) after Panama’s Supreme Court annulled key port contracts held by the Hong Kong‑based CK Hutchison–owned firm, leaving the future of some Panama Canal operations uncertain, in Panama City, Panama, January 30, 2026. REUTERS/Aris Martinez

The Chinese government reacted angrily to a Panamanian Supreme Court decision late last week that stripped Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison of operating two ports along the Panama Canal.

The court ruled on Thursday that the concession for Panama Ports Company, a CK Hutchison subsidiary that’s operated container terminals at the canal’s Pacific and Atlantic entrances since the 1990s, is unconstitutional.

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by Eric Olander

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