CK Hutchison will not sign deal to sell strategic Panama ports next week, sources say

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm. Will we see the US invade to claim the canal anyways? Or perhaps just lean on Panama to invalidate the contracts and seize the ports to sell to the US? Guess we'll find out how much bite the US has left.

There's also this:

The person added the development does not mean the deal has been called off, and April 2 is not a hard deadline. The second source, who also declined to be identified for similar reasons, said talks are still very much underway.

Also apparently these are only 2 of 5 ports around the canal. It's interesting, the way the US propaganda rags phrase it China has exclusive control of both ends of the canal because of these ports.

Probably the company tries to do something to ease the pressure at home and give the US something but what that might be I don't know. I could see them trying to do something like selling some sort of stake but not outright control to Blackrock, something that can be presented as not capitulating in China but as a successful raid and seizing of value and a veto over port use by the US or something. I don't see the US backing down on this and when push comes to shove they can just use sanctions to pressure the company.