Recently, the Australian side has been up to some "tricks" regarding the operating rights of the Darwin Port, attempting to break the contract and reclaim the port. It was agreed to lease it to China for 99 years, so not a single day less should be allowed. Our ambassador has also made heavy remarks, urging the Australian side to carefully consider this matter.

To briefly introduce, in 2015, the Australian government publicly tendered the 99-year leasehold rights of the Darwin Port. After fierce competition among enterprises from various countries, a Chinese enterprise emerged victorious and successfully acquired the 99-year leasehold rights by paying an annual rent of 506 million Australian dollars.

It is worth noting that before being taken over by the Chinese enterprise, the Darwin Port was a veritable "mess," with an annual throughput of only 5 million tons, long-term losses, causing headaches for the local government.

However, in the ten years since the Chinese enterprise took over, it has greatly changed this poor situation. Our Chinese enterprise invested a large amount of funds in the construction of the Darwin Port, making great progress in port development. It also worked hard on operational management and customer resource acquisition.

Now, the annual throughput of the Darwin Port has surged to more than 30 million tons, transforming it into an important trade hub in northern Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese

However, as the Darwin Port was about to "revive," the Australian government suddenly had ulterior motives. During his election campaign, Albanese promised voters that he would reclaim the operating rights of the Chinese enterprise at the Darwin Port.

Clearly, the Australian government covets the economic profits brought by the Darwin Port and wants to reap benefits without effort, which means the efforts of the Chinese side may come to naught. Is there any such logic in the world?

In addition, the sudden move by the Australian government to reclaim the operating rights of the Darwin Port cannot help but be influenced by the United States. Why do we say so?

Remember, the geographical location of the Darwin Port is crucial, close to the U.S. military base in Australia. This alone indicates something. To a large extent, the Australians want to please the U.S. in this way.

Regarding this breach of contract statement by the Australian government, our ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, delivered four heavy remarks to warn the Australian side: the Darwin Port cannot be reclaimed just because the Australian government wants to.

Firstly, it must be clarified that the Chinese enterprise obtained the lease through a public bidding process, which stands on solid legal ground in Australian law. This is an undeniable fact and cannot be distorted by the Australian side;

Secondly, the Chinese enterprise has turned the port around from losses to profits through ten years of effort, contributing significantly to the local economy. Not only should it not be encouraged, but it might even be punished. The Australian side wants to rent it out when the port's performance is poor and now wants to break the contract and reclaim the port when it becomes profitable. This is morally unacceptable;

Thirdly, the lease is a commercial contract, and the Australian side should remain objective, adhere to the spirit of the contract, and show respect for corporate autonomous decision-making;

Fourthly, as comprehensive strategic partners, Australia should create a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises.

It can be said that this move by the Australian government is undoubtedly "playing with fire." Moreover, commercial contracts should be respected and upheld. If the Australian side arbitrarily tears up the contract and shows no regard for the spirit of the contract, have they ever thought whether other countries still have confidence in long-term cooperation with Australia?

Most of the goods from the Darwin Port are almost entirely exported to China. If the Australian side reclaims the operating rights of the port, it will inevitably impact Sino-Australian trade, and Australia's own economic interests will also be damaged.

In addition, according to the commercial contract, if the Australian side really breaches the contract, it will need to pay a huge compensation of 4.6 billion Australian dollars. This is not a small sum.

In short, we hope the Australian government strictly adheres to the spirit of the contract, does not treat the words of the Chinese side as mere wind in their ears, and learns to respect market rules and commercial contracts, creating a good environment for Sino-Australian cooperation.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508671363364684328/

Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone. Please express your attitude by clicking the "Agree/Disagree" buttons below.