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.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Saturday criticised Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison's plan to sell its ports near the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group, a day after China's market regulator launched a probe into the deal.