美国总统特朗普3月4日在国会联席演说中，重申美国要收回巴拿马运河。他还提到，一家美国公司已经宣布计划买下巴拿马运河的两个港口。这家公司，就是著名的股权投资和资产管理公司贝莱德集团。

就在3月4日深夜，香港首富李嘉诚旗下的长江和记实业有限公司宣布，与由贝莱德牵头的财团达成原则性协议。长江和记将向贝莱德出售其在全球23个国家的43个港口，其中包括位于巴拿马运河的两个港口。整个交易涉及228亿美元。

这个消息带动长和股价隔天大涨接近22%，但却激怒了中国大陆。亲北京的香港《大公报》接连发文炮轰李嘉诚“丧权辱国”，“将国家重要战略资产拱手让人”，“交易完美配合美国遏华战略”。据说，中国领导人对此也深感震怒。

李嘉诚向美国财团出售港口，真的会损害中国的国家利益吗？中国政府又可能采取什么手段来阻止？按照程序，长和与贝莱德计划于4月2日进行最后的交割协议签署。到时，这次交易是否真的能够画上句点？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红和新加坡管理大学李光前商学院副教授傅方剑解析李嘉诚出售巴拿马运河港口所引发的争议。

延伸阅读：

• 杨丹旭：北京要如何处理长和交易？
• 于泽远：李嘉诚又陷政治漩涡

In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through global shipping and geopolitics, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's CK Hutchison Holdings has agreed to sell its global ports business to a consortium led by US investment giant BlackRock for US$22.8 billion (S$30.5 billion). This deal, which includes 43 ports in 23 countries, notably strategic ports along the Panama Canal, has ignited a firestorm of controversy, particularly in China.

The Chinese government and pro-Beijing media have launched scathing criticisms against Li Ka-shing. Critics claim Li is "surrendering national rights" and "handing over important strategic assets" to American interests.

The deal has sparked intense discussions about the complex interplay between business, geopolitics, and national security, raising questions about the role of private companies in strategically sensitive areas.

In this episode of Global Heartbeat podcast, Associate Professor of Finance from the Singapore Management University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Fu Fangjian, joins host Han Yonghong to provide in-depth analysis of the geopolitical and economic implications of this high-stakes transaction that has put Hong Kong's most prominent tycoon in the middle of a growing China-US rivalry.

Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.