The Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s planned sale of ports in Panama to a group led by BlackRock, the American finance giant, is under fire from Beijing.

Shares of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison sank after a critical commentary by a Chinese state-owned newspaper about the $22.8 billion sale.

The deal is a spineless, groveling, profit-seeking move that sells one’s integrity for personal gains,” said the opinion piece, said an opinion piece in a Beijing-backed newspaper.