Australia’s number one patriot, the former trade minister that negotiated the China FTA and the leasing of Darwin Port to Chinese interests before going to work for the new owner shortly afterwards, has declared it’s fine to seize it back:
- Landbridge says if it happens then it’ll spike sovereign risk. For all not investors not just Chinese.
- Peter Dutton says circumstances were different in 2015.
- Andrew Robb says said “Canberra had every right to reassess the port lease in light of changing strategic circumstances. “Australia-China political relations had “turned to custard” and business ties could follow. In some cases the tone hasn’t taken account of the sensitivities on the Chinese side,” said Robb. “There are certain things that have been thousands of years in the making with regard to China, such as saving face.”
Meh. Nobody in the emerging liberal trading bloc is going to be upset by it. They’ll copy it if anything. Just as they have many other of Australia’s pushbacks against China.
