Government weighs risks if Darwin Port lease is cancelled

The Morrison government is considering whether terminating a Chinese company’s ownership of the Port of Darwin will provoke retaliation by China – such as the risk to Australians detained in China, including on death row, and whether Telstra’s Chinese assets could be under threat.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to be drawn on Thursday about the potential backlash from China if the government stripped Landbridge of its 99-year lease of the port after The Australian Financial Review revealed split views among ministers and departments over whether to go ahead.