Australia’s defence minister has vowed to defend plans to regain control of the Port of Darwin after Chinese company Landbridge took the issue to an international court.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Labor was pursuing private negotiations with the company to end its 99-year lease.
“We’ll do everything in our power to defend that matter, but we’ll continue to talk to Landbridge to try and resolve this,” Marles told reporters in Darwin on Thursday.
At 2025’s federal election, both Coalition and Labor pledged to return the port to Australian hands for national security reasons.
Landbridge argues the government’s move is discriminatory and breaches Australia’s obligations under its free trade pact with Beijing.
Marles said it was a complicated challenge but the government was pursuing it in the most appropriate, prudent, and respectful way possible.
By Lloyd Jones in Darwin.
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