Australian Prime Minister: Considering Repurchasing the Port of Darwin Leased by China

Australian Prime Minister Albanese stated in a program on ABC Darwin that the Australian Federal Government intends to repurchase the Port of Darwin located in northern Australia, which is leased to the Landbridge Group for nearly 100 years.

Albanese said, "We are trying to figure out if there are private buyers, especially in pension funds... We hope this port will be held by Australians."

According to him, the Australian Federal Government plans to negotiate with China regarding the repurchase of the port. However, the specific time and conditions remain unclear.

ABC explained that like Prime Minister Albanese, Opposition Leader and Liberal Party leader Dutton also expressed the intention to repurchase the port. Both promised that once they win the election scheduled for May 3, they will bring the port back under Australian control. Meanwhile, Dutton did not rule out the possibility of forcibly reclaiming the port.

Terry O'Connor, an independent director of Landbridge Group, said that the company has not discussed the Prime Minister's proposal with the Australian Federal Government or the Northern Territory government where the Port of Darwin is located.

O'Connor told ABC in an interview, "As for the owner of the port, they have no intention of selling the port and have not had any negotiations about selling the port... We have repeatedly stated that the port will not be sold, and nothing can change the current agreement at this stage."

The Port of Darwin is one of the largest ports in Australia. It was leased to the Landbridge Group in 2015 for a term of 99 years. This decision was made based on a trade optimization plan because a considerable amount of cargo volume is transported through this port to China. The deal was reached with the Northern Territory government for 506 million Australian dollars (over 310 million US dollars), and China also committed to investing more than 200 million Australian dollars (approximately 124 million US dollars) in port infrastructure. According to the existing agreement, the lease term ends in 2114.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828545474659401/

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