Since the deal was announced on March 4 to sell 43 of CK Hutchison's ports in 23 countries, including two along the Panama Canal, to a consortium led by U.S. firm BlackRock, and Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte's family-run shipping company MSC, it has sparked a firestorm of criticism from China.

CK Hutchison said changes to the composition of the consortium and structure of the transaction would be necessary to secure regulatory approval.

CK Hutchison Holdings, one of Hong Kong’s largest business groups, has been managing ports at both ends of the Panama Canal since 1997. These ports, Balboa and Cristobal, are crucial because the canal is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.