Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing is considering delaying the expected signing next week of a controversial deal to sell his Panama Canal ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said.

Hong Kong's CK Hutchison will not sign a deal next week to sell its two port operations near the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, as pressure mounted from Beijing.

“There will not be an official signing of the two Panama ports deal next week,” a source close to CK Hutchison told the Post.