Rebecca Fung

So there's like a three-part response to this, basically. Okay. First, that there's, you know, that series of attacks on newspapers. And then, secondly, officials were telling some of the Chinese state-owned businesses to not do new business with Li Ka-shing. And the state-owned firms, you know, were told to hold off on any new collaboration.

So there's like a three-part response to this, basically. Okay. First, that there's, you know, that series of attacks on newspapers. And then, secondly, officials were telling some of the Chinese state-owned businesses to not do new business with Li Ka-shing. And the state-owned firms, you know, were told to hold off on any new collaboration.

So there's like a three-part response to this, basically. Okay. First, that there's, you know, that series of attacks on newspapers. And then, secondly, officials were telling some of the Chinese state-owned businesses to not do new business with Li Ka-shing. And the state-owned firms, you know, were told to hold off on any new collaboration.

With businesses linked to Li Ka-shing and his family, that's already sort of an escalation. Yeah. And then there's like a third tool that Beijing can do, and it has done, basically, that they can throw in an antitrust review.

With businesses linked to Li Ka-shing and his family, that's already sort of an escalation. Yeah. And then there's like a third tool that Beijing can do, and it has done, basically, that they can throw in an antitrust review.

With businesses linked to Li Ka-shing and his family, that's already sort of an escalation. Yeah. And then there's like a third tool that Beijing can do, and it has done, basically, that they can throw in an antitrust review.

We had reporting that basically shows that the officials in Beijing are hoping that by sending signals about potential regulatory challenges, the two sides, Hutchinson and BlackRock, would just pull back by themselves voluntarily.

We had reporting that basically shows that the officials in Beijing are hoping that by sending signals about potential regulatory challenges, the two sides, Hutchinson and BlackRock, would just pull back by themselves voluntarily.

We had reporting that basically shows that the officials in Beijing are hoping that by sending signals about potential regulatory challenges, the two sides, Hutchinson and BlackRock, would just pull back by themselves voluntarily.

This is the most serious hurdle yet that this deal is facing. China and Panama are... close and the Chinese corporations invested a lot in Panama. This audit began after the deal was announced. And now that the auditor is looking into it, it could potentially drag on for months and that could definitely scuttle the deal.

This is the most serious hurdle yet that this deal is facing. China and Panama are... close and the Chinese corporations invested a lot in Panama. This audit began after the deal was announced. And now that the auditor is looking into it, it could potentially drag on for months and that could definitely scuttle the deal.

This is the most serious hurdle yet that this deal is facing. China and Panama are... close and the Chinese corporations invested a lot in Panama. This audit began after the deal was announced. And now that the auditor is looking into it, it could potentially drag on for months and that could definitely scuttle the deal.

We really don't know. It kind of depends on what else at the moment that Beijing can do to make Li Ka-shing and his son care. People kept saying and investors kept saying that Li Ka-shing only has 12% of revenue from Hong Kong and mainland China. So it's not that much in the grander scheme of things. Maybe he just doesn't care. However, 12% is still 12%.

We really don't know. It kind of depends on what else at the moment that Beijing can do to make Li Ka-shing and his son care. People kept saying and investors kept saying that Li Ka-shing only has 12% of revenue from Hong Kong and mainland China. So it's not that much in the grander scheme of things. Maybe he just doesn't care. However, 12% is still 12%.

We really don't know. It kind of depends on what else at the moment that Beijing can do to make Li Ka-shing and his son care. People kept saying and investors kept saying that Li Ka-shing only has 12% of revenue from Hong Kong and mainland China. So it's not that much in the grander scheme of things. Maybe he just doesn't care. However, 12% is still 12%.

It's not nothing. Yeah. So I think right now the decision kind of rests within Li Ka-shing and his son and, you know, his close advisors to basically weigh going through with the deal. How much would that anger Beijing? And what's sort of the tradeoff here?

It's not nothing. Yeah. So I think right now the decision kind of rests within Li Ka-shing and his son and, you know, his close advisors to basically weigh going through with the deal. How much would that anger Beijing? And what's sort of the tradeoff here?

It's not nothing. Yeah. So I think right now the decision kind of rests within Li Ka-shing and his son and, you know, his close advisors to basically weigh going through with the deal. How much would that anger Beijing? And what's sort of the tradeoff here?

I mean, he's 96. It does seem to be a bit of an unfortunate final act of his decades of business career. But I think what it says more is just that the company that Li Ka-shing built many decades ago is now in a different environment.

I mean, he's 96. It does seem to be a bit of an unfortunate final act of his decades of business career. But I think what it says more is just that the company that Li Ka-shing built many decades ago is now in a different environment.