Landbridge Group was granted a 99-year lease on the northern port of Darwin in 2015, a widely criticised decision that led to stricter scrutiny of major infrastructure sales.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last month the port should be “in Australian hands” and vowed to buy back control of the “strategic asset”.
But ambassador Xiao Qian urged the Australian side to “honour its binding commitments under the contract and respect the autonomous decisions made by businesses”, saying Landbridge Group had “secured the lease through an open and transparent bidding process, fully compliant with Australian laws and market principles”.
In a transcript published on the Chinese embassy’s website over the weekend, he pointed out that “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.”
Darwin lies closest to Australia’s Asian neighbours and has been used as a base for US Marines. (With contributions from AFP)
