Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Jan. 28 that Australia was “committed” to returning the Darwin Port to Australian ownership. The Northern Territory government sold Darwin Port to the Chinese company Landbridge for A$506 million in 2015, a move criticized by the United States, which has a military base close to the port. The U.S. and Australia are expanding air bases in Australia’s north to host U.S. bombers.
“We are committed to making sure that that port goes back into Australian hands because that is in our national interest,” Albanese said. What Albanese did not report is just how much pressure Australia came under from its AUKUS partners, the U.S. and U.K.
