The Ta Kung Pao newspaper on Wednesday renewed its criticism of the sale by CK Hutchison of its Panama Canal ports.
Ta Kung Pao cited an article by the South China Morning Post, which quoted the managing director of a local property agency as saying he was asked by a contact in CK Hutchison to publish a column on a business website defending the sale.
In its editorial, Ta Kung Pao called the “hired gun” approach misleading and irresponsible, adding that there would be severe consequences if the conglomerate continues on this “wrong path”.
It said the deal to sell ports in Panama and elsewhere to an investment group led by the American firm BlackRock should not be considered a normal business decision on national security grounds.
Ta Kung Pao also said the proposed sale undermined China’s national interests.
