Latest news with #ChineseAmbassador
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China criticises Darwin port plan, cross-border train route reopens: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing China's ambassador to Australia has described the Australian government's plan to end a Chinese firm's control of the strategically located Darwin Port as 'questionable', saying the company should not be punished. A former senior economic planner has called for China's annual growth target to be lowered for the next five years, factoring in the likelihood of a protracted rivalry with the United States and the need to solve deep-rooted structural problems in China. Construction of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway Xihoumen Dual purpose Highway and Railway Bridge on the coast of Jintang Island, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang province, Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images In the span of a single generation, China has redefined the limits of civil engineering, transforming itself from a nation reliant on foreign bridge-building expertise to the undisputed architect of the world's most audacious crossings.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's ambassador hits out at Australia's ‘questionable' Darwin Port return plan
China's ambassador to Australia has described the Australian government's plan to end a Chinese firm's control of the strategically located Darwin Port as 'questionable', saying the company should not be punished. Chinese company Landbridge Group was awarded a 99-year lease of the port in 2015, under a deal originally approved by the Northern Territory government, a move that was criticised by then US president Barack Obama. Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was working on a plan to buy back Darwin Port from its Chinese owners on national interest grounds, saying the port needed to be 'in Australian hands'. 08:35 Why voters around Asia had Trump on their minds as they headed to the polls Why voters around Asia had Trump on their minds as they headed to the polls Xiao Qian, China's ambassador to Canberra, said Landbridge Group had made significant investments in maintaining and building the port and had contributed to the local economy. 'Such an enterprise and project deserves encouragement, not punishment. It is ethically questionable to lease the port when it was unprofitable and then seek to reclaim it once it becomes profitable,' Xiao said in an embassy statement on Sunday. In an interview with various media groups, Xiao said the Landbridge Group had secured the lease through an open and transparent bidding process. He expressed hope that Australia would view the project 'objectively'. 'China and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. The two sides should foster mutual trust, as mutually beneficial cooperation aligns with our shared interests,' he said, urging the Australian government to create a fair, transparent and predictable business environment for Chinese companies in Australia.
