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Australia says it will not cancel Darwin port lease to Chinese company after review

  • The announcement the agreement would not be varied or axed comes ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s expected visit to China this year
  • The 99-year lease of the port to Landbridge came under scrutiny in 2021 as Australia boosted foreign investment screening

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Landbridge won a bidding process in 2015 to operate the Darwin port in a deal worth US$390 million. Photo: Shutterstock
Reuters
Australia said a security review of a 99-year lease held by Chinese company Landbridge on the northern port of Darwin, a key focus of its defence strategy, found it was “not necessary to vary or cancel the lease”.

In a statement, the prime minister’s department said: “Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised, while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment”.

It added that monitoring of security arrangements would continue around the northern port.

During a diplomatic dispute that is now easing, China had criticised Australia for blocking Chinese investment in infrastructure on national security grounds.

The 99-year lease of the commercial port to Landbridge was put under scrutiny in 2021 by the Australian government as it boosted foreign investment screening and introduced a national interest test for critical infrastructure.

After it won election in 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government launched a second review of the lease, involving defence, foreign affairs and security agencies.

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