Hong Kong’s ‘Superman’ in Beijing’s Crosshairs Over Sale of Panama Port Assets

Billionaire tycoon Li Ka-shing is engaged in a protracted power struggle over ports in the Panama Canal.

An aerial view shows containers at the Balboa Port, operated by Panama Ports Company, at the Panama Canal, in Panama City, Panama, on Feb. 1, 2025. Enea Lebrun/Reuters

News Analysis 

After a career that spans the better part of a century, Hong Kong’s wealthiest man is trying to exit the global ports business. Analysts say it’s a pragmatic business move that has landed him in the middle of a fierce tug of war between Beijing and Washington.