On May 22, Ambassador Xiao Qian was interviewedby the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Xinhua News Agency and Phoenix TVin Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, responding to the question related to the Port of Darwin issue.

Q: The Albanese government pledged during the Australian election campaign to revoke the operating rights of China’s Landbridge Group over the Port of Darwin. Does the Chinese side believe such actions by the Australian government will impact bilateral relations?

Ambassador Xiao Qian stated that the Chinese side has consistently maintained communication with both the Australian federal government and the Northern Territory government through diplomatic channels. I would like to emphasize the following points:

First, a decade ago, the Landbridge Group secured the lease for the Port of Darwin through an open and transparent bidding process, fully compliant with Australian laws and market principles.

Second, over the past ten years, Landbridge Group has made significant investments in maintaining and building Darwin Port’s infrastructure, optimizing its operations and management, and expanding its customer sources. These efforts have brought remarkable improvements to the port, turning its financial situation from losses to profits and contributing positively to local economic and social development. 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.

Third, the lease agreement is a commercial contract. We hope the Australian side will view the Darwin Port project objectively, honor its binding commitments under the contractand respect the autonomous decisions made by businesses based on development needs.

Fourth, China and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. The two sides should foster mutual trust, as mutually beneficial cooperation aligns with our shared interests. We hope the Australian federal government and the Northern Territory government will create a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in Australia.