Reuters today, March 27, quoted information from Bloomberg News that Chinese state-owned enterprises received new orders to stop cooperating with the business empire of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and his family.

Beijing issued the directive after billionaire Li decided to sell two ports in the Panama Canal to a consortium led by the US company BlackRock.

In March, Hong Kong billionaire CK Hutchison agreed to sell much of its global port business, including ports at both ends of the Panama Canal, in a deal estimated to generate more than $19 billion in profits for the group.

According to Bloomberg, Chinese government enterprises have been instructed to stop new cooperation with Mr. Li. Existing agreements are not affected.

The news also said that Chinese regulators are also reviewing the investment activities of billionaire Li Ka-shing's family in mainland China and abroad to better understand the scope of their business.

The Chinese government has not made any official announcement.

Over the past two weeks, Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao newspaper has published a series of editorials criticizing the deal between CK Hutchison and the US-led Panama Canal joint venture as damaging China's national interests.

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office reposted several editorials on its official website.

For his part, US President Donald Trump welcomed the deal after expressing concerns that China could take control of the Panama Canal as a subsidiary of CK Hutchison has operated ports at both ends of the canal since 1997.