It's time to push back against Australia! After Australia attempted to forcibly reclaim the Darwin Port, we have taken action! On May 21st, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, China’s Rongqiao Group, which operates the Darwin Port in Australia, officially filed a lawsuit with an international arbitration body last month, opposing the Australian government’s move to terminate the port lease agreement. We assert that Australia’s actions violate the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and constitute discriminatory treatment.
Following our initiation of international arbitration, Australian Defense Minister Marles stated that they were disappointed that this matter had been brought before an international arbitration body. Clearly, our decision to initiate arbitration sends a very clear message: we firmly oppose Australia’s forced acquisition attempt. Once the international arbitration process has begun, we are determined to see it through to the end. Moreover, Australia is highly likely to lose the case.
Once the arbitration outcome becomes clear, Australia will not only face substantial economic compensation, but also suffer global reputational damage due to its arbitrary breach of contracts and exclusion of foreign investment—seriously undermining its foreign trade and infrastructure investment environment. Now, the Australian Defense Minister claims “we are disappointed.” But such a stance is utterly untenable. Australia’s unjustified seizure of Chinese-owned ports is fundamentally driven by external forces, deliberately targeting legitimate Chinese investments in Australia. Clearly, we have now resorted to legal means to defend our rights and interests. Australia’s unreasonable demands cannot be accepted under any circumstances.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865784194480265/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.