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- Sep 30, 2014
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China insists the 99-year lease of Darwin’s port is a normal commercial operation that poses no security risk to Australia and claims that allowing the US to exercise its B-1 bombers in the Top End is a risk to regional stability.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei criticised the US last night over secret polling, revealed by The Australian yesterday, which showed that a majority of Australians were suspicious of a Chinese company controlling the port.
The Australian said the research, carried out by a local company on behalf of the US, found that nine in 10 Australians thought the deal with the Landbridge Corporation, owned by a Chinese businessman, posed a national security threat.
“The controversial port deal has made the strategic elements of China’s maritime economic initiatives apparent, and it will likely force Australians to rethink their choices of when to put national security ahead of economic gain,” the research said.
To settle Australian concerns, US ambassador John Berry issued a statement saying the State Department routinely carried out such polls around the world to help the US understand international perspectives.
The ambassador said the US had discussed with the Australian government issues about the port lease and those concerns had been addressed.
Such low-level polls did not reflect US government views, policy, or position, Mr Berry said.
“There is no change in the US position on the Port of Darwin issue. Australia alone determines its sovereign criteria for investment projects,” he said.
“Our alliance and friendship are strong and mature. We are moving forward together.”
Malcolm Turnbull said the government did not make national security decisions on the basis of “text-message opinion polls”.
The Prime Minister said the decision to lease the port was assessed appropriately by security agencies, including the Defence Department and ASIO. “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,” he said in Adelaide.
“The United States government is satisfied that the security issues relating to the lease of the port were examined carefully and professionally and appropriately by the Defence Department.”
Mr Turnbull said Australia had a “very, very close defence relationship” with Washington that included the “rotation of American military forces through Darwin and through Australia all the time”.
“I’m not going to comment on a particular element of that, but I can just assure you that everything we do in this area is very carefully determined to ensure that our respective military forces work together as closely as possible in our mutual national interests,” he said.
US air force general Lori Robinson said this week that talks were under way which could see the long range bombers regularly rotating through RAAF bases in Australia’s north.
China’s Mr Hong said Australia and the US should abandon that plan. “Any bilateral co-operation should not target the interest of a third party,” he said.
Mr Hong said Australia and China had strong business and diplomatic ties, which Beijing hoped would not be damaged by growing US influence.
“If the result of the polling is correct, we want to stress that the Australian public does not need to have this sort of suspicion,” he said. “The commercial behaviours of Chinese enterprises in Australia abide by international rules and relevant Australian laws. They are normal commercial operations.”
Mr Hong said China’s growing business interests in Australia had bought tangible benefits to both countries, which would grow with the free-trade agreement.
“We have noticed that the Prime Minister of Australia has posed suspicion on the relevant polling results,” said Mr Hong.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said he was unmoved by the US polling.
“I can tell you 100 per cent there has never been any concern addressed with me from either the US, from Australian Defence, or any other nation’s defence department from that point of view,” Mr Giles told ABC Radio.
Security analysts warned the lease should be thoroughly examined by the federal government and reversed if possible. They said the US decision to poll in Australia indicated significant concern in Washington about the lease and questions about the state of its security alliance with Canberra.
Peter Jennings, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank, said the polling showed the lease deal “doesn’t pass any respectable pub test” and reflected the dangers of allowing public policy to stray so far from public opinion.
“I think this is a signal our ally is a bit worried about the direction of Australian thinking and Australian strategic policy,” Mr Jennings said. “Australia should pay some attention to that, rather than allowing ourselves to become overly obsessed with relations with our closest trading partner to the north.’’
A visiting fellow at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy, Geoff Wade, also said the lease should be revoked.
Additional reporting: Wang Yuanyuan, Brendan Nicholson, Jared Owens
Nocookies
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei criticised the US last night over secret polling, revealed by The Australian yesterday, which showed that a majority of Australians were suspicious of a Chinese company controlling the port.
The Australian said the research, carried out by a local company on behalf of the US, found that nine in 10 Australians thought the deal with the Landbridge Corporation, owned by a Chinese businessman, posed a national security threat.
“The controversial port deal has made the strategic elements of China’s maritime economic initiatives apparent, and it will likely force Australians to rethink their choices of when to put national security ahead of economic gain,” the research said.
To settle Australian concerns, US ambassador John Berry issued a statement saying the State Department routinely carried out such polls around the world to help the US understand international perspectives.
The ambassador said the US had discussed with the Australian government issues about the port lease and those concerns had been addressed.
Such low-level polls did not reflect US government views, policy, or position, Mr Berry said.
“There is no change in the US position on the Port of Darwin issue. Australia alone determines its sovereign criteria for investment projects,” he said.
“Our alliance and friendship are strong and mature. We are moving forward together.”
Malcolm Turnbull said the government did not make national security decisions on the basis of “text-message opinion polls”.
The Prime Minister said the decision to lease the port was assessed appropriately by security agencies, including the Defence Department and ASIO. “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,” he said in Adelaide.
“The United States government is satisfied that the security issues relating to the lease of the port were examined carefully and professionally and appropriately by the Defence Department.”
Mr Turnbull said Australia had a “very, very close defence relationship” with Washington that included the “rotation of American military forces through Darwin and through Australia all the time”.
“I’m not going to comment on a particular element of that, but I can just assure you that everything we do in this area is very carefully determined to ensure that our respective military forces work together as closely as possible in our mutual national interests,” he said.
US air force general Lori Robinson said this week that talks were under way which could see the long range bombers regularly rotating through RAAF bases in Australia’s north.
China’s Mr Hong said Australia and the US should abandon that plan. “Any bilateral co-operation should not target the interest of a third party,” he said.
Mr Hong said Australia and China had strong business and diplomatic ties, which Beijing hoped would not be damaged by growing US influence.
“If the result of the polling is correct, we want to stress that the Australian public does not need to have this sort of suspicion,” he said. “The commercial behaviours of Chinese enterprises in Australia abide by international rules and relevant Australian laws. They are normal commercial operations.”
Mr Hong said China’s growing business interests in Australia had bought tangible benefits to both countries, which would grow with the free-trade agreement.
“We have noticed that the Prime Minister of Australia has posed suspicion on the relevant polling results,” said Mr Hong.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said he was unmoved by the US polling.
“I can tell you 100 per cent there has never been any concern addressed with me from either the US, from Australian Defence, or any other nation’s defence department from that point of view,” Mr Giles told ABC Radio.
Security analysts warned the lease should be thoroughly examined by the federal government and reversed if possible. They said the US decision to poll in Australia indicated significant concern in Washington about the lease and questions about the state of its security alliance with Canberra.
Peter Jennings, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank, said the polling showed the lease deal “doesn’t pass any respectable pub test” and reflected the dangers of allowing public policy to stray so far from public opinion.
“I think this is a signal our ally is a bit worried about the direction of Australian thinking and Australian strategic policy,” Mr Jennings said. “Australia should pay some attention to that, rather than allowing ourselves to become overly obsessed with relations with our closest trading partner to the north.’’
A visiting fellow at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy, Geoff Wade, also said the lease should be revoked.
Additional reporting: Wang Yuanyuan, Brendan Nicholson, Jared Owens
Nocookies
