HONG KONG, July 28 (Reuters) - CK Hutchison ( CKHUF )

said on Monday it wants a major Chinese strategic investor to

join the consortium bidding for its $22.8 billion ports

business, after media reports that state-owned China COSCO

Shipping Corp may join the group.

In a statement, CK Hutchison ( CKHUF ) said changes to the

consortium's composition and the structure of the transaction

will be necessary for the deal to secure regulatory approvals,

and that it will allow as much time as needed to achieve those.

The announcement comes as a 145-day exclusivity period

for talks between CK Hutchison ( CKHUF ) and the original bidding

consortium - led by BlackRock ( BLK ) and Gianluigi Aponte's MSC

- expired on Sunday.

The deal, which includes two ports near the strategically

crucial Panama Canal, has become highly politicised as tension

escalates between China and the United States.

Beijing views the potential sale as a threat to its

interests, seeing the BlackRock ( BLK )-led consortium as a proxy for

growing American influence in a region China considers

economically and geopolitically significant.

The outlook for the deal has grown increasingly uncertain in

recent days, with sources telling Reuters that COSCO - a key

player in China's global maritime ambitions - is exploring a

role in the bid.