Off the wire
• China's golfers preparing for Rio Olympics at Mission Hills  • 20 Al-Shabaab fighters killed in airstrike in S. Somalia: official  • 1st LD Writethru: Militants abduct 11 civilians in N. Afghanistan  • China to boost innovative growth of logistics sector  • College students allowed gap years for entrepreneurship  • Singapore's overall satisfaction with public transport hit record high in 2015  • Early check-in made easy for passengers at Singapore Changi Airport  • Nationwide rail strike disrupts traffic across France  • Iranian Super League soccer fixtures  • Urgent: Militants abduct a dozen civilians in N. Afghanistan  
You are here: 　 Home

China dispels doubts over Australian port lease

Xinhua, March 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) - A Chinese company managing Darwin Port in Australia would respect market rules, international norms and domestic laws to bring benefits to both countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday in Beijing.

Spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks when responding to the results of an SMS poll which indicated almost 90 percent of Australians believe the Chinese company managing the Darwin port would pose at least "some risk" to Australia.

The secret poll, conducted by the U.S. State Department, revealed that 43 percent of respondents felt there was "a lot of risk" in leasing the Port of Darwin to Chinese firm Landbridge Group, while 46 percent of respondents said there was "some risk". Eleven percent of respondents deemed the deal "no risk" to Australia.

Hong said China-Australia economic cooperation shows that China's development brings important opportunities to Australia, and China is willing to have more mutually beneficial cooperation with Australia to realize common development.

Chinese firms' operation in Australia has been welcomed by the country and its people, Hong said, expressing his hope that people from all walks of life in Australia can have an objective view on bilateral business cooperation.

The Port of Darwin was given to the Landbridge Group on a 99 year lease in a deal worth up to 376 million U.S dollars.

Hong said he also took note of related comments of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Turnbull told the press on Wednesday that the government would not be taking the "text message opinion poll" seriously, and both his government and the U.S. government had "appropriately" assessed any outcome of selling the Port of Darwin to the Chinese firm.

Turnbull said he discussed the sale with U.S. President Barack Obama when they met in the Philippines last year.

"The security issues relating to that port sale were thoroughly investigated in Australia's national interest by the relevant security agencies. That's how we determine security issues; not, with all due respect, by text message opinion polls," Turnbull said. Endit