CHINA-AUSTRALIA: AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE DEPARTMENT FINDS NO GROUND TO TERMINATE 99-YEAR LEASE OF PORT DARWIN TO CHINESE COMPANY LANDBRIDGE
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The Australian (December 28) reported that a review by Australia's Defence Department has found there are
no national security grounds sufficient to recommend a government intervention to overturn the controversial
99-year lease of the Port of Darwin to Chinese company Landbridge. It has, accordingly, made no formal recommendation for a national security intervention. The Australian confirmed that the national security
committee of cabinet has considered the review it commissioned to -re-examine the 2015 agreement under
which Landbridge won the bid to operate the port in a deal worth $506m. It added that the review is
understood to have disappointed China hawks who were hoping the review would trigger a reversal of the
-decision and allow the government to unpick the lease arrangement.
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