China | Pass the port

Why China hates the Panama Canal deal, but still may not block it

Xi Jinping might need to lose some to win some

A Chinese flag is seen in front of containers at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port, Shanghai
Photograph: Getty Images

“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Thus spoke Donald Trump shortly after BlackRock, an American investment firm, announced on March 4th that it would buy two ports on the Panama Canal from ck Hutchison (ckh), their Hong Kong-based operator. China’s initial response was strikingly muted, given the genesis and scope of the deal, which covers a total of 43 ports in 23 countries.

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