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Roundup: Aussie gov't officials, academics slam secret U.S. poll on Chinese lease of Aussie port

Xinhua, March 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australian government officials and academics Wednesday criticised a secret U.S. State Department poll conducted in relation to the Northern Territory state government's deal to lease Darwin port to Chinese firm Landbridge.

The poll conducted via text message surveyed 1,000 Australians on what risk the Port of Darwin lease to Chinese firm Landbridge posed to the country, according to an article published in The Australian on Wednesday.

Senior members of the Australian government have labelled the move as "outrageous" and were angered when told of the polling. "Who do they think they are?" one of them asked, The Australian reported.

The United States doesn't have to conduct public policy advocacy with an ally, UNSW economics fellow Tim Harcourt told Xinhua.

"We've been a very, very strong ally of the United States, and in the Asian Century, we're obviously going to be doing important commercial deals with China, Japan, India and other key trading partners," Harcourt said.

"I'm a bit surprised by the response in a way."

Associate Professor Jingdong Yuan from the University of Sydney rejected claims that Landbridge has "reported ties" to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) as well as concerns about whether port access could facilitate intelligence collection on U.S. and Australian military forces stationed nearby.

"It is a stretch to argue that this company will be the PLA arm to collect intelligence on U.S. and Australian military forces," he said.

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told journalists in South Australia earlier on Wednesday that the security issues relating to the port sale were thoroughly investigated in Australia's national interest by relevant security agencies.

The U.S. State Department conducts public opinion polls in countries around the world to supplement available polling and to help understand international perspectives, U.S. Ambassador to Australia John Berry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Such low level polls do not reflect U.S. government views, policy, or position," Berry said.

"There is no change in the U.S. position on the Port of Darwin issue."

He also indicated that the United States had addressed its concerns regarding the lease of the Port of Darwin with the Australian government.

Chinese firm, the Landbridge Group, won the bid to operate the Port of Darwin in October 2015, which was worth 506 million Australian dollars (around 375 million U.S. dollars).

The 99-year lease has already provided a 100-million-Australian dollar (around 74 million U.S. dollars) boost to the Northern Territory state economy. Endite