Labor to review Chinese Port of Darwin deal

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirms he would review the arrangement, despite the Department of Defence clearing the 99-year lease of any national security concerns late last year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Labor will review the controversial Port of Darwin lease, throwing into question the future of the Chinese-owned port.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Wednesday that he would review the arrangement, despite the Department of Defence clearing the 99-year lease of any national security concerns late last year.

“I will do what I said I would do on this and every other issue, which is we’ll have a review of the circumstances of the port,” he said in Darwin.

“The (Northern Territory) Chief Minister is conscious of the fact that we will do that. And we’ll do that in an orderly way.”

He also indicated he may use the veto laws introduced by the Morrison government to give the Commonwealth power to cancel deals between states, universities or local councils and foreign powers.

“We support it. The change in the foreign relations Bill, they went through with our support,” Mr Albanese said. “And hence, we believe that the federal government should be in charge of our foreign relations.”

The Port was leased by the NT’s Giles government in 2015 to Landbridge, a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, for just over $500m.

Concerns over the port have been raised in recent years as tensions between China and Australia rise, with Beijing slapping sanctions on Australian exports and refusing to engage or meet with counterparts.

The location is of particular focus because US Marines regularly rotate through Darwin as part of joint training exercises, with former US President Barack Obama expressing his concerns about the deal at the time it was made. But a review of the lease ordered by the Morrison government in 2021 found “no national security risk” to justify ripping up the lease.

Labor has been critical of the deal, and weaponised it during the election.

“This government sat back and went missing while the Port of Darwin was sold to a company with direct links to the Chinese Communist Party,” Mr Albanese said in April while on the campaign trail.

“Clearly not in Australia’s national interest for that to happen.

“In terms of national security and taking these issues seriously – we will. We will take these issues seriously.”

The revelation that Labor will review the port again follows China and Australia facing off this week over an incident between two aircraft in the South China Sea.

Mr Albanese denounced what he called a “dangerous act” from the Chinese fighter jet that forced the Australian surveillance aircraft to take evasive manoeuvres.

But Beijing officials overnight accused Australia of flying into Chinese Xisha airspace “despite repeated warnings”.

“Xisha” is the Chinese name for the Paracels, which it insists are Chinese territory but are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.