Australia Retains Chinese Company's 99-Year Lease on Darwin Port Despite Security Concerns

Government deems existing security measures sufficient following review, while Landbridge hopes decision will end security criticisms; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scheduled to visit the US and China.

The Australian government has decided not to terminate Chinese company Landbridge's 99-year lease on the strategic Darwin Port, despite concerns from the US regarding the potential for foreign spying on military forces.
An investigation by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet concluded that current monitoring and regulation measures are enough to manage security risks for the critical infrastructure.
Landbridge, also known as Shandong Landbridge Group, signed the lease in 2015 with the Northern Territory government, which was facing financial difficulties. The deal took place three years after the commencement of the US Marines' annual rotations through Darwin, causing the US to worry about potential intelligence gathering by China.
Following his party's victory in the last year's elections, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had instructed an investigation to explore if changes or cancellation of the lease were needed.
The decision of keeping the lease unaltered comes before PM Albanese’s scheduled visit to Washington, D.C., to meet President Joe Biden and his proposed visit to China, becoming the first Australian Prime Minister to do so in seven years.