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Panama Seizes CK Hutchison Ports in Canal Showdown

Beijing-linked conglomerate loses two strategic terminals as US-China rivalry reshapes global trade Panama Takes Control of Two Canal Ports From Hong Kong Giant CK HutchisonIn a dramatic escalation of geopolitical tensions surrounding one of the world's most vital shipping corridors, Panamanian authorities physically seized control of two strategic Panama Canal ports on February 24, 2026, removing employees of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison from the Balboa and Cristobal terminals and handing temporary operations to Danish shipping giant Maersk and Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).The takeover follows a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court in late January declaring CK Hutchison's concession contracts unconstitutional, a verdict that became legally binding when published in Panama's official gazette on February 24. CK Hutchison's subsidiary, Panama Ports Company (PPC), had operated both terminals for nearly three decades under concessions most recently renewed in 2021 for another 25 years.Employees Threatened With Criminal ProsecutionCK Hutchison said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that Panamanian authorities made "direct physical entrance" into both terminals and assumed administrative and operational control. Company staff were told to leave immediately and threatened with criminal prosecution if they refused to comply or attempted to maintain contact with the firm.The company called the entire process unlawful, saying the court ruling, the executive decree, the termination of PPC's concession, and the physical takeover…

How Hong Kong Became Russia’s Tech Lifeline in Ukraine War

Investigators find city firms shipped $28 million in Western military components to Moscow with no sanctions penalty Hong Kong Companies Funneling European Military Technology to Russia, Investigators FindHong Kong has become the world's most important transshipment node for routing Western military technology to Russia's war machine in Ukraine, according to a damning new investigative report published by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and reported by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in February 2026. The findings reveal that a small group of Hong Kong and mainland China-based traders have moved hundreds of semiconductors, sensors, electrical connectors, and microchip components -- many of them produced by major European technology companies -- into Russian weapons systems, all while evading international sanctions.The report, titled "Bypassing the Blockade," is based on Ukraine's defense ministry database of foreign components recovered from destroyed or captured Russian weapons, cross-referenced with export records and corporate filings. The findings are the latest in a series of CFHK investigations that have identified Hong Kong as the premier global conduit for procuring Western technology for Russia, Iran, and North Korea -- a role that the city's government has enabled by refusing to enforce any Western sanctions, recognizing only those imposed by the United Nations.Seven Traders, Twenty Companies, One Deadly PipelineResearchers identified seven Hong Kong and China-based traders who…