Australia to Cancel Chinese Lease of Darwin Port

Australia is moving ahead with plans to terminate a Chinese firm's lease on the Port of Darwin.

The long-term lease in the country's far north, held by Chinese company Landbridge, has emerged as a significant political issue, with both the ruling government and the opposition pledging to reverse the deal.

The original agreement, worth $370 million, granted Landbridge control of the port for 99 years and was signed a decade ago.

While the proposal to end the lease has been under consideration for over a year, it has sparked strong objections from Beijing.

“We urge the Australian side to provide a fair, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in Australia, and refrain from overstretching the concept of national security or politicising normal business cooperation,” a Chinese government spokesperson said on Thursday.