Legal storm brewing over Chinese port ownership dispute

The federal government has vowed to defend plans to return the facility to Australian control, saying a Chinese company’s decision to take a port ownership dispute to court was disappointing.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Labor was determined to return the Port of Darwin to Australian control and was holding private talks with Chinese company Landbridge.

He was disappointed by the steps the company had taken to take the matter to an international court.

“We will do everything we can to defend this matter, but we will continue to talk to Landbridge to resolve this,” Mr Marles told reporters in Darwin on Thursday.

At the federal election in 2025, Labor promised to return the port to Australia for national security reasons and has been searching for a buyer ever since.

Landbridge argues the government’s move is discriminatory and breaches Australia’s obligations under its free trade agreement with Beijing.

Landbridge said the port was acquired through an open and competitive process and Australian government reviews confirmed there were no national security concerns.

Mr Marles said this was a complex challenge but the government was pursuing it in the most appropriate, prudent and respectful way possible.