Chinese operator of Darwin port faces the boot

Australia plans to scrap a Chinese company’s lease on Darwin port. 

The port concession in the far north of the country has become an election issue with both the government and the opposition vowing to buy back the port from its 99-year lease to Landbridge, a $370m deal that was signed 10 years ago. 

The decision to scrap the port concession has been on the cards for more than a year, but it has drawn ire in Beijing.

“We urge the Australian side to provide a fair, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in Australia, and refrain from overstretching the concept of national security or politicising normal business cooperation,” a Chinese government spokesperson said yesterday.