July 17 (Reuters) - China is threatening to block the

sale of more than 40 ports, owned by Hong Kong-based CK

Hutchison ( CKHUF ), to BlackRock ( BLK ) and Mediterranean

Shipping Company (MSC) if Chinese shipping company Cosco does

not get a stake, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday,

citing unnamed sources.

Reuters could not immediately verify the WSJ report.

CK Hutchison ( CKHUF ), MSC, BlackRock ( BLK ) and Cosco did not immediately

respond to Reuters' requests for a comment, while the Chinese

government could not be immediately reached outside office

hours.

Chinese officials have told BlackRock ( BLK ), MSC and Hutchison

that if Cosco is left out of the deal, Beijing would take steps

to block Hutchison's proposed sale of the ports, the newspaper

said.

Tycoon Li Ka-shing's CK Hutchison ( CKHUF ) in March announced it

would sell its 80% holding in the ports business, which

encompasses 43 ports in 23 countries. The business has an

enterprise value of $22.8 billion, including debt.

After much scrutiny and criticism in China, Hong Kong

conglomerate CK Hutchison ( CKHUF ) confirmed in May Italian billionaire

Gianluigi Aponte's family-run MSC, one of the world's top

container shipping groups, was the main investor in a group

seeking to buy the ports.

BlackRock ( BLK ), MSC and Hutchison all are open to Cosco taking a

stake, WSJ said.

However, the parties would likely not reach a deal before a

previously agreed upon July 27 deadline for exclusive talks

between BlackRock ( BLK ), MSC and Hutchison, the report added.

The proposed sale has also drawn the attention of U.S.

President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire

to reduce Chinese influence around the Panama Canal and termed

the deal a "reclaiming" of the waterway after it was first

announced.

(Reporting by Angela Christy and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru;

Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)