According to Bloomberg News, China has directed its state-owned companies to stop making new deals with companies associated with Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and his family. The directive comes after Li's plan to sell two ports in Panama to a consortium led by BlackRock. CK Hutchison, Li's conglomerate, is facing scrutiny in China due to the deal with the BlackRock-led group, which involves selling assets near the Panama Canal. The transaction is anticipated to bring in over $19 billion in cash for the company. The information was reported by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru.