Hong Kong's leader has waded into a controversy over a prominent conglomerate’s decision to sell its Panama Canal port assets to a consortium including American investment bank BlackRock Inc., a deal that has angered Beijing and highlights how escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington can leave the Chinese financial

Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison is facing intense criticism from Beijing over its ports sale to a BlackRock-led consortium, fuelling speculation as to whether China could take steps to scupper the deal.

Concerns among residents sparked by CK Hutchison Holdings' Panama ports deal deserved "serious attention", Hong Kong's leader said on Tuesday, as he made clear that all transactions had to abide by the city's laws.