China’s envoy says Beijing will ‘take measures’ to defend Chinese language agency’s pursuits if Canberra takes over Port Darwin.
Revealed On 29 Jan 2026
China’s ambassador to Australia has warned Canberra towards taking management of a port whose lease to a Chinese language-owned firm has been closely scrutinised over its strategic significance.
On Wednesday, Xiao Qian criticised the Australian authorities’s strikes as unethical and “no technique to do enterprise”.
Really helpful Tales
listing of 4 gadgetsfinish of listing
Landbridge Group, owned by Chinese language billionaire Ye Cheng, has managed Port Darwin, positioned in Australia’s distant Northern Territory, since 2015 underneath a 99-year lease settlement.
Australian authorities reached the $350m lease take care of Shandong province-based Landbridge within the hope the port’s growth would revitalise the economic system of the largely rural territory.
However Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to return the port to Australian management throughout campaigning forward of nationwide elections in Might final yr, saying the power must be run by an area firm or the federal government.
In his annual briefing to native media, Xiao mentioned, “While you’re dropping cash, you wish to lease it to a international firm, and when it’s being profitable, you wish to take it again?”
The ambassador mentioned Beijing would “take measures” to defend Landbridge’s pursuits if the Australian authorities tried to forcibly alter the lease settlement.
“We’ll see when it’s time for us to say one thing, do one thing, to replicate the Chinese language authorities’s place and defend our Chinese language corporations’ authentic pursuits,” he mentioned, with out elaborating.
Responding to Xiao’s feedback throughout a go to to East Timor on Wednesday, Albanese repeated his intention to return the power to Australian management, describing it as being within the “nationwide curiosity”.
Regardless of years of controversy amid claims the port deal poses nationwide safety dangers, a number of authorities opinions, together with one commissioned by Albanese, concluded there have been no grounds to cancel or alter the settlement with the Chinese language agency.
China is Australia’s high buying and selling associate, with two-way commerce in 2024-25 totalling $218bn, although relations between Beijing and Canberra have been examined lately by disputes over points equivalent to nationwide safety and human rights.
