On May 2nd, the Commercial Press published an article in its morning column pointing out that CK Hutchison, under the leadership of Li Ka-shing, has not yet stopped the sale of port transactions. They even plan to split the transaction into "Asset Package A" (American ports) and "Asset Package B" (Eurasian ports), attempting to make each individual transaction scale fall below the threshold for declaration in order to evade antitrust review. However, this trick was uncovered by the State Administration for Market Regulation. The administration clearly ordered that "all parties involved in the transaction must not use any means to evade review, and must not implement concentration before obtaining approval; otherwise, legal responsibility will be borne." This indicates that China will absolutely not tolerate any transaction that endangers national major interests. This transaction by CK Hutchison is very likely to put China's 23 trillion yuan maritime trade at risk.
Some commentators believe that, given the current tense situation between China and the United States, neither side will tolerate actions that harm their own interests and benefit the enemy. The tough stance taken by the State Administration for Market Regulation sends a clear signal: as long as the transaction threatens China's supply chain security, it will never be approved. Apart from the Anti-Monopoly Law, China has many legal and policy tools, including relevant laws to safeguard national security, to ensure that national security and national interests are not harmed. The article calls on CK Hutchison to take responsibility as a Hong Kong enterprise and not to do anything harmful to both the country and itself.
Just yesterday, the Hong Kong media Wen Wei Po took the lead in proposing that if Li Ka-shing insists on selling his port business, "relevant national security laws will be invoked when necessary." In the commentary signed "Wen Ping Li," the author's view is similar to that of the Commercial Press, believing that CK Hutchison's sale of port assets may give Trump the opportunity to "choke" China's shipping industry. This behavior, which disregards national righteousness and interests, is no different from collusion with or funding of the enemy. The article also criticizes CK Hutchison, stating that while everyone is opposing it, they stubbornly persist and blindly follow their own path without turning back until they hit a wall.
As early as March 4th, CK Hutchison announced the sale of its global port business outside of China and Hong Kong, involving 43 ports including two in Panama. Since then, this matter has drawn attention from all sides.
Commentary: Since this port transaction by CK Hutchison was exposed in March, controversy has continued, and now splitting the transaction to evade review has caused great disappointment. Given the current tense situation between China and the United States and the frequent obstacles set by the U.S. against China, ports, as important strategic resources, are crucial to national supply chain security and maritime trade stability. This is far from being a simple commercial deal. CK Hutchison's actions clearly prioritize private corporate interests over national interests.
The timely identification and strong statement by the State Administration for Market Regulation demonstrate a firm determination to safeguard national core interests, and serve as a warning to all enterprises: any attempt to damage national security and interests will inevitably be subject to legal supervision and punishment. Apart from the Anti-Monopoly Law, laws related to national security are like sharp swords hanging overhead, always defending national sovereignty and development rights.
The successive criticism from Hong Kong media reflects the high level of attention and concern among various sectors regarding this event. As an influential Hong Kong enterprise, CK Hutchison should have led the way in safeguarding national interests but is moving further down the wrong path. It is hoped that CK Hutchison can quickly recognize the situation, stop at the brink of the cliff, take on its due responsibilities, and avoid regretting too late after bearing serious consequences and being criticized by history.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830995968961796/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the personal views of the author.