Darwin's Chinese community calls for Labor, the Coalition to reconsider port lease plans

Australia Broadcast Center

29-04-2025

Members of Darwin's Chinese community are calling for the Australian government and opposition to reconsider their election promises to take back a Chinese firm's lease of the Darwin Port.
The Northern Territory government leased the port to Chinese-owned company Landbridge for 99 years in 2015, but since then, the foreign ownership of the strategic asset has been the subject of
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Landbridge is
During this year's federal election campaign, Labor and the Coalition
Shu Qin Li says members of Darwin's Chinese community are "disappointed" and "sad" about the major parties' plans to strip the port lease from Landbridge.
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ABC News: Tristan Hooft
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The Northern Territory president of the Australia-China Friendship Society, Shu Qin Li, a long-term resident of the NT, said she believed that move would do economic damage to investor confidence and the territory's economy.
She said the pledges had come without any evident national security risk, and urged both parties to reconsider.
Photo shows
A truck drives out of the entrance of the Darwin Port on a sunny day.
Darwin Port's lease to a Chinese-owned company has outlasted successive prime ministers. So why are the major parties talking about cancelling it now?
"I think it's too political," she said.
"[The NT] should try to focus and look after our own interests … I mean Darwin, we don't have any major projects, for many years.
"Darwin Port is probably the one that's still alive … what else do we have?
"
For people living in the community here forever, like us, we do care, and we feel very disappointed, and very sad.
"
Ms Li said community groups such as the Australia-China Friendship Society would lose out on annual event funding from Landbridge if the company lost the port lease.
She also said her views were widely held within Darwin's generations-old Chinese community.
Members of Darwin's Chinese community say Landbridge supports cultural events in the city.
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Supplied: Chung Wah Society
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The ABC spoke to others in the NT's Chinese community, who asked not to be named for this article.
One community member dubbed the federal promises as tapping into "old paranoia", while another said "all international investors should be treated the same and given a fair go".
They questioned why the major parties had only made the promises during a federal election campaign, and without any apparent change to national security advice regarding Landbridge's lease.
Landbridge has a 99-year lease of the Darwin Port.
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ABC News: Che Chorley
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Defence expert says 'partisan politics' at play
Multiple federal reviews have been undertaken on the Landbridge lease since it was awarded, without any announced risks to national security.
Darwin-based defence expert Victor Abramowicz said it was "hard to see [the election pledges] as anything aside from partisan politicking on both sides".
"The sale was made in 2015, governments of both stripes have been in power over the past decade, [and] none of them have moved to get rid of Chinese ownership of the port," Dr Abramowicz said.
Victor Abramowicz says national security advice regarding Darwin Port has not changed.
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ABC News: Michael Donnelly
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"In fact, even the most recent government review in 2023, about 18 months ago, said
"It's just very hard to believe anything has changed.
"It's really just a bit of a delicate political environment."
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Dr Abramowicz said if the port lease had to be compulsorily acquired from Landbridge by the Commonwealth, it would likely be a huge sting to Australian taxpayers.
"That'll be coming straight from the taxpayer's hip pocket, and for no apparent good national security reason,"
he said.
Both Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese have pledged to bring the Darwin Port back "into Australian hands" this election campaign.
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Supplied
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Ms Li said she believed any move to strip the lease from Landbridge would jeopardise future private investment in the NT, which is already facing
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"That will make it worse," she said.
"Not only the business itself, but also the investor confidence.
"It doesn't paint a very good picture."
Dr Abramowicz said taking the lease back would likely make major foreign investors baulk at doing business on Australian shores.
"It would seem to raise questions in terms of how safe Australia is as an investment destination, even if you are a company that comes in, pays a good price and does a good job," he said.
Labor and the Coalition declined to comment.
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